January 23, 2025 • 58 mins
In this engaging episode of the Stuck In My Mind Podcast, host Wize El Jefe sits down with the esteemed Isabella Sanchez Castañeda, an award-winning podcast producer, strategist, and the CEO of ISA Media Inc. As they delve into the world of podcasting in 2025, Isabella shares insightful narratives from her own journey transitioning from journalism to podcasting, highlighting how her roots in storytelling have significantly shaped her approach to producing compelling content.
Isabella discusses the founding of ISA Media, revealing how the unexpected changes during the pandemic led her to venture into business after discovering certain aspects of journalism were no longer fulfilling. Encouraged by her entrepreneurial parents, she embraced her natural storytelling skills to create a platform where she could make a greater impact through podcasting.
Throughout the conversation, Isabella shares invaluable advice for aspiring podcasters, reflecting on her own experiences. Notably, she emphasizes the importance of pre-production and planning, stressing how these elements can enhance a podcast's growth and effectiveness. She provides a candid account of her initial challenges—particularly her realization of the need for strategic planning after struggling with early episodes focused solely on spontaneous topics.
Wize and Isabella explore the podcasting process in depth, with Wize sharing his own evolution as a podcaster. They discuss the significance of structure and systems, such as using platforms like PodMatch for scheduling and finding guests, as well as the role of networking and relationship-building within the podcasting community. Both speakers highlight how the supportive nature of the podcasting world has been crucial to their personal and professional growth.
Isabella delves into strategies for differentiating personal brands in what some consider an oversaturated podcast market. She advocates for depth over breadth by capitalizing on unique personal experiences and perspectives. This theme of authenticity is further reinforced as she encourages hosts to incorporate more solo episodes to cultivate a stronger connection with their audience, showcasing what they've learned through their podcasting journey.
The episode also covers practical aspects of podcasting, from dealing with podcast burnout and creative blocks to leveraging listener feedback as a metric of success beyond just download numbers. Isabella's actionable insights are designed to help podcasters refine their craft, stay relevant, and maintain a compelling presence for long-term listenership.
Both Isabella and Wize share success stories from their podcasting careers, illustrating the profound impact storytelling can have on listeners. They encourage potential podcasters to overcome hesitations by identifying and addressing underlying fears, emphasizing that the personal stories they share can have universal resonance and transformative power.
As the episode winds down, the conversation shifts towards future aspirations, with Isabella and Wize discussing goals for the coming year, including Wize's intention to appear on more podcasts to share his story further. Isabella's expert advice serves as a catalyst for Wize, prompting him to revisit solo episodes with renewed intention and focus.
This episode of Stuck In My Mind Podcast is not only a treasure trove of podcasting wisdom but also a testament to the powerful intersection of storytelling, strategic planning, and community support in creating meaningful and impactful content. As always, Wize El Jefe and his guest deliver a rich, insightful discussion that will resonate with both aspiring and seasoned podcasters alike.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:42):
And welcome to another episode of Stuck About Mind podcast. I
am your host, w I z e. And my next guest is an award
winning podcast producer. So I mean, strategist producer
and CEO of ISA Media. Welcome to the
show. Sorry about that. I have to take it
off. To the show,
(01:04):
Isabella Sanchez Castaneda. Thank you so much for
having me. My phone started going off. I
am sorry. But how are you doing? I'm doing well today. How are you?
I'm good. I'm excited to speak to you because,
being that I'm a podcaster, I want I wanna pick your brain and
ask you about what's going on, especially with podcasting in
(01:27):
2025. Mhmm. So, let's just jump right into
it. Absolutely. What would you like to know? Alright. What
what first is what inspired you to to to transition
from journalism to podcasting, and how has that
shaped your approach to storytelling? Absolutely.
So I know that there are so many people
(01:49):
with really great stories. And the beauty of podcasting
is that you can really access
it for free even. Right? There's so many really great tools that you can
use, that you can build your show with, and that allows
so many more people to share what they're really about. Now
the challenge with that is that so many people
(02:12):
don't know how to tell their story in a way that is clear
and that gets people to take action. And the benefit I had
with being in journalism for so long was that I
could tell a story in that way. And so I love marrying the two
things so that people can really put themselves out there
and be really proud of the work that they're
(02:34):
sharing. And so I was able to transition over.
I had the, storytelling skill, and I didn't think
I had the podcasting skill until someone asked me,
hey. Can you do my show? And I looked, and I was like, actually, I
can. I I had studied the editing. I had studied, how to put it
together, how to interview. And so it very
(02:56):
naturally flowed. I just had to kinda look and give myself the
credit. Awesome.
What what what can you share about this the story
behind the fine founding of, Ice Media Inc?
Yeah. So, so I'll say it's Issa Media. I'm
sorry. That's okay. So, it was
(03:18):
actually because I graduated during the pandemic
and, was in a role that I thought I had wanted
for years. Like, literally thought I wanted it since I
was in elementary school. And once it was actually in it,
I realized that I didn't necessarily want it.
And because of the pandemic, it wasn't something that I could just
(03:41):
jump and try a new role right away. I was very
fortunate that, both my parents are are business owners
kind of out of necessity, and and they really encouraged me. They were like, why
don't you just go out on your own? And I thought that that was,
it was too early to do that because I was so
green. But really, again, it's it's about looking
(04:03):
and seeing where you already have the skills and where you
already have what other people want. And
so for me, it was the storytelling and and being able to lean into that.
Okay. What what's one piece of advice you wish you
had when you first started podcasting?
(04:25):
To plan and pre produce more
than I did. So when I first started, I did 30
days of podcast episodes, daily podcast episodes solo.
Mhmm. And I was just talking about whatever
came to mind, whatever I wanted to talk about that day. And
then for a while, I realized like, why isn't this working? Why isn't
(04:47):
the show growing? Why aren't people interested in my
services? Because I started the podcast for, promoting my
business. And I realized I was like, oh, I'm not
practicing what I preach, which is to really plan and look at what
is the story that you wanna tell and what are people going to walk away
with. I was just winging it, and I wish
(05:09):
that someone had pulled me aside and been like, hey. You need to plan.
And I also realized that if they had, I probably wouldn't have listened in the
beginning anyway. Yeah. No. I
I I don't I don't come from a media background. And so when I
started my podcast was at the beginning of the
pandemic, I was furloughed from my job. Right now, I'm a pit boss in
(05:32):
a casino, so it was I had I was
home, didn't have much to do. I had already purchased the equipment
for podcast. They bought me a a Burner's studio
$160 on Amazon. And I was messing around with it, just playing around with
it. And I just kept making up excuses to why I couldn't make up Google
Podcasts. Mhmm. They'll listen to me. Why would why
(05:54):
just making up excuses. And then I finally recorded
5 to 7 minutes with my nephew. Didn't didn't have all the
hookups correctly, but it was just it was just the beginning. And
Yeah. I released it. And so he he was battling me on
not releasing it because he was like, we gotta wait till we get better. I
was like, no. I want I wanna show people the
(06:16):
growth. I wanna show them where we started at Yeah.
Where we're at now. I said I said, it's it's okay. It's it's just
the point is that I started. I want that was that was my key goal
is to get it out there and launch it. And so with each episode, I
just improved. Mhmm. Each episode, it was like, okay. I'm learning new
things. I've I've learned how to edit episodes. I've learned how to edit video.
(06:39):
I've learned about quality of mics, what mics use, whatnot, and what and
I I started investing in myself. Started taking courses
just because I fell in love with podcasting.
I didn't know I had a voice. This isn't something I this is not something
I was, like, planning. But, like, you, it it was
eventually, I learned I learned that, yeah, you need to start planning. You need to
(07:02):
start studying, doing getting getting questions
correct. You whatever you whatever you're gonna do, you really start have to start
planning your podcast out and and which have which I'm
still doing and growing because it's always an evolution. Every year, I'm
improving, and every year, I'm adding new details to it. So to
say, did I start out the right path? No. I'd but it was
(07:23):
me just taking that that leap and and actually just
releasing my first episode. Yeah. What does your planning process look like
now?
Oh, the schedule the scheduling is easy because I use
PodMatch. So to find guests, that was one of my biggest issues
was finding guests, especially in this field field and
(07:46):
everything. I want and the conversations that I wanted to have. So
using PodMax to find my guests, getting me a
calendar. Because before I would, you know, hear this recording,
I had to learn how to use the calendar and start scheduling it and making
sure this is the time and making sure that I scheduled it
(08:07):
at the same time every time. I didn't want a very I wanted a
dedicated, this is the time I have to record. So I had to learn
at certain if this is the time you record, this is the time you
record. So calendar,
within last 2 years, I started doing more automation
as far as sending out my emails and all this stuff that
(08:29):
I did, collecting, emails, all these
other stuff that I didn't know. This past year, I
started focusing more on affiliate marketing, using
affiliate codes and stuff like that to help offset some of the costs that
I have. I use my StreamYard pays for itself
with this with the affiliate link that I use to StreamYard.
(08:52):
Yeah. PodMatch pays for itself because
they pay me a percentage when I interview certain people.
That's cool. I don't charge to interview people, but it they're
giving me they're giving back to the podcaster,
which I love. So I big shout out to Alex Sanfilippo and then his team
over there at PodMatch. They're doing some wonderful things.
(09:14):
And and just so many different other things that I'm still learning from, that I'm
still learning and trying to adapt. And and, this year, I I
need to learn how to relinquish some
duties. To outsource. Yeah. That's what
we I I wanna definitely, also shout out
PodMatch. PodMatch has been incredible, on the guesting side as
(09:36):
well. And so for anyone listening, if you want to guest on more podcasts
or you wanna start your own and interview people, Podmatch is the
place to go. And, yeah, Alex and
Alicia are just great founders. So Yeah. Looking forward
to hanging out with them. I'm looking I'll I'll be at Podfest, so I'm looking
forward to hanging out with them. I've been every time I've gone,
(09:58):
I've been able to hang out with them and spend some time with them. So
That's amazing. Able to really build a relationship with them and and so many other
wonderful people that I meet that that I've met down the podcast and
just that's one thing I've been able to build some great relationships.
Yeah. It is is connecting with fellow podcasters and and other people,
the like minded people, and it's this this
(10:20):
community is amazing. It's, like, one of the best communities I've
ever been in park because so many people are looking to help you.
If they see that you're you're investing in yourself and you want the help,
it's amazing how people be like, oh, how can I help you? What can I
do to to make you successful and and and help build you
up? Absolutely. And so tell me about the outsourcing.
(10:42):
Like, you're saying that, that's a struggle. What's going on?
Just things I know I should give up. Like, I should be I should
be able to, have a VA come and and set up the studio
for me and and set up my questions and every but for
some reason, it's just just haven't done it. But
(11:02):
I have a meeting tomorrow. I actually have a meeting with someone tomorrow about
hiring them and and bringing them on as a as a
VA and and getting some help to alleviate some
stuff that I don't have to focus on and Yeah. Focus on
the stuff that I really truly wanna focus on. Mhmm. Like, what? What do you
wanna focus on? It's whose show is this? Is it my show? It's
(11:26):
He's just like asking a question. Joke. Is it joke?
Oh, there's so many different things I wanna do.
This past week, I was,
I I was someone who I had guest on their I was a
guest on their podcast, and they sent me an e
they sent the email just a email, and they were given a they they did
(11:50):
a 5 day course on,
on faith and and and instilling faith in in what you're doing and all
that. And for some re I I I signed up.
And the thing was he coaches women. And but I signed up and
took the course, and it was an amazing 5 days.
(12:10):
Like, it was so many things happened in those 5 days.
Like, I wrote a letter to the to the
universe about wanting to improve on wanting
to really focus on building my coachings and all
that. And I
I get a coaching opportunity just pops up the very next day.
(12:32):
Wow. And and it was crazy the the the way it happened. And
then, I I put out something
else very next day. It
it it it happens. It transpires, and it's like,
what what's going on here? What is what is what is this what is
this what is this, this feeling and and everything? And it was
(12:54):
just it was just an amazing course and to be able
to now just
go go in go ahead. My my goal for 2025 is to
go with more intention, with more intention of of
just expressing what I want from my podcast and expressing
(13:15):
what I want from my audience and get and giving them stuff like that. So
it was just it was it was great. I love that.
But now let's get back to asking you some questions.
Sounds good. I'll probably turn it back around, but that's okay. That's
fine. How do you help how do you help personal brands stand out
in in in a in a crowded podcast? Well, I don't really
(13:37):
let me I need to rephrase that. How do you step because I don't feel
it's crowded. How do you feel
how do you help personal brands stand out in in in the in
podcasting? How how what is it that you do that
makes your podcast different? Yeah.
So right now, a lot of people talk about,
(14:00):
like, oversaturation with podcasting. I don't believe in that mainly because
most people, can't stick to it. Like, don't
don't go past 10 episodes. And so we've talked about that for a long
time. What I'm looking toward in 2025
now is very to
stand out, it's going past the generic content.
(14:23):
So a lot of folks now have this access to this
incredible thing, AI. And so they're going to AI and they're
asking AI, hey, I'm a health coach. What are three
things I should tell my audience this week? And so
AI is giving them 3 very generic points
that basically anyone could have shared.
(14:46):
And so then every health coach is sharing the same three points
on their podcast episodes if they've stuck past 10 episodes.
Right? So my goal then is
to focus on what is uniquely yours to share.
So maybe you do start with AI telling you those three points, but how
can you describe those three points in a way that no one else
(15:09):
can describe? And really
going deeper rather than wider. And so going
more into like, hey, I know this because of this experience that
I had, or I know this because of this person that I worked with. And
so to give you an example, something that I've been working on just
in the past few weeks is what makes me as a
(15:31):
podcast strategist or as a communication strategist different?
And I'm like, well, I, was
a tour guide for a really long time. And then
I have a a background in journalism, and now I'm
also on the side, a yoga teacher. And so how
do those three things combine together to give me a
(15:54):
skill set that other podcast strategies strategists don't have?
And so if I explain three points that everyone else has explained
before, but I explain it from that point of view, then it
stands out because it's not just the right now,
everyone's talking about goals. Right? So everyone's talking about the Atomic Habits by
James Clear. And it's a great book, but everyone
(16:16):
references it. And so if you're the person
talking about goal setting and you don't reference them, you instead have something
different, you stand out. And so it's really about
asking what can you uniquely say
and just look at what got you here. What are the things
that you did that built the skill
(16:38):
set that you currently have? Yeah.
Yeah. For me, personally, it's it's been
just investing in myself, learning, getting coaching,
speaking to not afraid to to ask questions,
learning from different people, networking.
(16:58):
Networking was very important. It's been something that's,
helped me learn so much because people see that,
I'm wanting to learn, and they offer me opportunities. I've been offered
a couple of opportunities to to to
be a part of beta testers, and and and it's helped me because
it's helped me improve on certain things that I I didn't know about. So it
(17:21):
was like it it's opened up so many opportunities for me.
And and Absolutely. I just love the relationships I'm getting to build from it
as well. And do you do solo episodes on your
show? At that's at first, I started off as
solo episodes, and it was, at the time, it was the
pandemic and George Floyd situation, the election,
(17:44):
and and I was not enjoying it. I was I
was I was enjoying the podcasting. I was Mhmm.
Loving the I was like that I was stepping out of my comfort zone and
doing something that I normally didn't do. And just
so when I started interviewing people,
I truly fell in love with it. That's when I was like, oh, I love
(18:05):
this. Being able to ask questions and learn and and have
people just share their knowledge and share their
stories. Because I started speaking with people from all over the
world, and, yes, we're all uniquely
different, but a lot of us have the same wants. We wanna
be successful. We want our family to be well off. We want us
(18:28):
and we want to be able to help and serve others. And it it it's
just amazing that there are so many people out there like that,
but now with the way it
is, you can really actually communicate with people from around the world and
get and see and see it from their eyes and learn and be able to
speak to them and hear their story. It it's to me, it's
(18:50):
like, wow. Like Yeah. Had I not had I not stepped
into this world, I would've never learned so much. I've
learned probably so much in the last 4 years than I have
to the 10 years prior to that. And
I hear this a lot with people who love doing interviews is that then they
don't go back to solo episodes. Which don't which
(19:12):
sometimes I I do when I when I say a a guest doesn't show
up or cancels on me. I'll go and then I'll do a solo
episode. I'll I'll Yeah. Look at it. If I have something on my mind and
I wanna discuss it or there's some topic that there's some there's always
something that something will happen, and I'm like, alright. This is what I
wanna discuss because Yeah. On my mind or something like
(19:35):
or a topic comes up across all social
media, and I'm like, that's an interesting topic. I don't have anything to talk about.
I guess I can talk about that. So there's been there's been times
where I've had to do a solo episode, which I don't mind.
I I started off that way. It's great. Yeah. But, yes, I I I
enjoy more of the conversation pieces. I would
(19:56):
encourage you to because you said your word of the year is intention.
And I would encourage you to, with intention, do
solo episodes where you talk about the things that you've learned
over the past 4 years with the podcast. And so you say,
you know, these are 3 things I've learned about relationships from the
guests I've had on my podcast. These are 3 things I've learned about
(20:19):
business from the guests I've had on my podcast. And what that does is
it lets you still be in a position of
people getting to know you and what matters to you, but it
also repromotes those episodes. So you're able to
go back and say, oh, this episode with, you know,
Susie, she taught me these things about business. If you
(20:41):
wanna learn everything that Susie shared, go listen to
episode, you know, 157. And then
you're able to do it with intention, but also
just create this ecosystem where people wanna go deeper with you.
Because the challenge with a lot of interview based shows
is that you've built an amazing community, and people wanna get
(21:05):
to know you. But you're always turning it to the other
person, so then they never get to know you. And
that them getting to know you more will open up
even further opportunities for you to bring people up the way
that other people have brought you up. Oh,
man. I'm I like that. I like that. I'm gonna I'm gonna do
(21:27):
that. Actually, I've never thought I've never thought about that. It's
it's definitely oh, man. I should've been taking notes, but I got the recording, so
I'm good. Good. I'm just gonna plug in my
computer. But,
what and, again, what that allows you to do is it it flexes a
muscle of not just absorbing all of
(21:50):
the information, but doing something with the information. Because
so many of us love to learn and love to
take in information and love to get more and get more and get more,
but then it is through sharing that we actually learn it
deeper. And by curating it and
really saying, like, this is actually what it is, you will learn it
(22:12):
more, and you get to share the wealth with people who maybe don't
want to sit through a full interview. They just wanna get the golden
pieces. Yeah. Yeah. Oh,
oh, so if he will be pay pay,
coming soon, some some more solo episodes.
Definitely. Thank you. Yeah. And and things that they're gonna get
(22:35):
so much out of, like, those are episodes that are so shareable Yeah. Because they're
really easy to digest. Mhmm.
Absolutely. So, we have we've had a cup we have a couple of
people left comments. Mickey Delaney says, hi, Wise. Hi,
Isabelle. How are we doing? We're I'm doing fine, Mickey. Thank you for stopping
by. Someone
(22:57):
asked, are you related to Stephan Sanchez? Not that I know
of. And, I guess, guys, read some
comments. There you go, Abdul. We read some comments. Alright. So
what what is what are some of the common most common mistakes you see
podcastes make, and how can they how can they fix
them? Well, one is one that we were just talking
(23:20):
about, which is not doing solo episodes. So
it's it's just giving away the community entirely
without taking again that credit for, hey, you built this community
and you have something to share with them as well. I would say that's number
1 for guest based shows. The other
aspect of it is not having,
(23:43):
calls to action at the end of the episode. And so even
if it's with a guest or solo, not directing
people where they should go and seeing it as an
invitation. So a lot of times people are afraid to use a call to action
because they see it as a pitch, but it's really an invitation.
Just letting people know, hey. If you enjoyed this, why don't we continue
(24:06):
to be in each other's ecosystem? As far as
so later on in the show, you're gonna get your little
segment where it's just you on the screen, and you get to
plug away and and pitch yourself and all that. And that's something I've I've always
felt like, alright. Yes. We're gonna have a great conversation, but I also need you
them to get directed to where you're at.
(24:30):
It is it's so important because, again, it's like, why are
we consuming all of this information? Mhmm. We
ideally want to do something with it. And
a lot of times, hosts again think that they are protecting their
audience in some way by not doing the call to action. But, really, their
(24:50):
audience is going to if they're really lit up by the topic that you share
Yeah. They will go somewhere else and still
get whatever it is that they need.
What else would I say is a huge mistake? I actually have
a, a free guide where I
have 5 mistakes listed on there. And I'm trying to
(25:12):
remember the other 3.
I know not doing solo is a huge one, the
not calls to action. And then also,
just not planning it. Again, going back to
not having the right intention with it where people are winging it, and so
(25:33):
then their audience isn't getting the message that they want them to
get. And then they're confused why they're not getting the results that they wanna get
from the show. Those would be my big
3. Okay. What what what's what's your favorite
part of of the podcast creation process and
why? I love
(25:55):
the scripting process. Okay. The planning process. So
if it's, for solo episodes, it's full scripts. I do believe in word
for word. And then you can kind of iterate on it once you're
recording, but just in the preparation, the deep work of it,
or the guest question preparation.
I don't know if you watch the hot ones, but they always tell the
(26:18):
host, like, oh my goodness. I've never been asked that before. Or, like, how did
you know that? That is a great
response and so satisfying when you're the interviewer,
to get someone saying that. And so I love just the preproduction,
the planning aspect of it all.
Oh, it it drives me crazy, right, when a guest
(26:41):
sends me questions they want me to ask. And,
I'm like, no. I because I want because when I I wanna
ask questions I wanna ask because I wanted to I don't want it to come
I don't want I don't want the guests to sound like they're
reading a script or anything. I want them to just be able to come out
and and be themselves and and just Yeah. Whatever comes
(27:03):
whatever comes out your mind and your mouth at that moment. That's great. Like, that's
what I want. So for me, I like And you know
your audience best. You know what people are hoping to
hear on your show. And so I think that that is a level
of trust that your audience has placed in you. Yeah. Definitely.
(27:24):
Okay. Can can you share,
a a success story of a client who who transformed their
brand through podcasting? Because it's important like,
podcasting is it's, very important when when now
with all these brand with the brands and and trying to build your
(27:44):
business. Absolutely. So
I think of, my favorite one to tell is Danielle. So
she waited 4 years to start her podcast. She
was, yeah, she was in business. Like, since the moment
she started her business, she was like, I really wanna start a podcast,
But she kept telling herself that she couldn't do it. So similar to what
(28:07):
you're saying before, like, it's the starting that's important. She was telling
herself all the reasons why she couldn't start. And
that was keeping her small, not just with the podcast, but with other
areas of her business because it all goes back to, like, are you
giving yourself enough credit? And I didn't expect
that to be the theme of today's episode, but apparently it is. And,
(28:32):
she was able to see how much she actually
knows by putting it into a podcast. And so she's done solo
episodes. She recently hit, I believe, episode
40 or 41. And that was after
waiting so long to do it. And when she did it, she was like, oh,
wow. I love this. And she plans her episodes weekly and is able to
(28:54):
really build. And so now people see her as more of an authority.
People see her as more of an expert in marketing.
So hers, specialty is marketing. She actually
worked at a concrete company for over 10 years. And
so she comes with this deep knowledge that a lot of other marketers
don't have, and she was able to kind of flex it and really show it
(29:16):
to people on her show. And that's called Marketing That Works with Danielle
Harris. Okay. Oh, there we go. Shout out to
Danielle Harris. Yeah.
It's it's for me, it's been, it's been it's been an amazing
just the the growth and and just
the way it's it's been moving. Like, I started Simply Audio.
(29:40):
I was Simply Audio at first, didn't do video. It was funny
because I was using StreamYard to record the audio onto my broadcaster.
And so, like, when I got to, like, episode 130
something and I had a husband and wife marketing
strategist come on the show, The husband was like, do
you do you do video? I'm like, no. I'm not
(30:02):
ready. I'm just made I made up every excuse in the book.
He wasn't asking me the question again, and I'm still making up
excuses. Then the third time he asked me, I just
go to this button and go record. Yes. I do video
now. And and and I knew what he was getting
at, but, again, it was those insecurities that you have, and you're
(30:25):
like, I don't I'm not I need to wait till I get the mic ready,
the the picture, the camera. I need my background to be set up
correctly. All these excuses. But
he was like, dude, you already I knew what he was getting at because it
was like, I'm already using the platform to record.
Why not just use just release the video? Mhmm. And so I
(30:46):
started doing videos. And
from video, I I I went to
doing live shows now 3 times a week because,
first of all, I was tired of editing, and I just didn't wanna edit
anymore. And I and I plus I had more fun doing some doing the lives
(31:07):
because now when people interact and leave comments, they become a
part of the show. So now it's their show as well
now. So for me, it was just that aspect of
first of all, like I said, I didn't wanna edit anymore. And then just having
an audience and having them in the rack and send and leave
comments. Sometimes there's, like, the comments lines is just filling up,
(31:30):
and it it's great it's great to have those. And and
so I love that aspect of it. Yeah.
So it's been it's been it's been
fun with the growth, and I'm still changing and evolving
and working on things and making sure that I improve
in certain areas. So Yeah. What would you say is
(31:53):
the excuse you're currently using against yourself?
As far as podcasting goes? Sure. Oh, man.
What excuses am I am I using?
I don't know. I don't you made a good point with the solo episode with
just doing the solo episodes. To me, that was something I I've
(32:13):
been wanting to like, I started doing something
called WISE IN AM where it was strictly
solo, and I was doing pretty good with it and everything. And then,
my mom got sick and and and passed away, and I kind
of stopped doing them. This year, like I said, I'm plan on
doing more things with intention, so I'm gonna go back and start doing doing the
(32:37):
that show and and and putting it out there. And it
was just it was
it was like that was one of the biggest things for me
was afraid of
how, like, how you said, not letting people get to know me. Like,
(32:59):
yes. I'm into joining people and let and
and promoting them and then giving them their shine, But
I don't know why I was afraid to to let
people win in my world. Even though I do share some of my stories once
in a while, but speaking to you now today and hearing what
you had to say, it made a lot of sense.
(33:21):
I I do have to sit down and do some more solo episodes. It's very
important because it is important that people get to see a
different side of me besides the interviewer part.
Mhmm. Yeah. Because you've
you've lived through things that can also help people. Yeah.
Definitely. Definitely. So what role does
(33:45):
storytelling play in creating a content, creating a
podcast that resonates with with listeners?
So stories make the unfamiliar familiar.
Mhmm. So there are things that
people universally understand, and then there's a whole bunch of things that
we don't understand. And so the more that you can
(34:09):
use a story to explain to someone
what you mean, the more quickly and
the eat more easily people will understand what you're saying.
So it's why we use, so many
stories with little kids. And so with little kids, we don't tell them
like, hey. Don't give up. Keep pushing. That
(34:31):
doesn't stick. They don't know what that means yet. So then we tell them the
story of the little engine that could. And it's
like, I think I can. I think I can. And just, like, continuing to go.
Or if you were to tell a little kid for the first time, like, hey.
Don't be in a rush. Like, being in a rush, is
gonna hurt you in the end. Or, hey. You know, take
(34:53):
your time with things. They'd be like, I don't I don't know what
that means. So we tell them the story of the tortoise and hare. We
tell them that, you know, slow and steady wins the race. And
over time, those stories become our belief systems
because they took something that was unfamiliar and made them familiar.
And getting practice in that, like, looking around you and
(35:16):
saying, how can I compare this thing over here to this thing over here
and make them match so that people understand
the the core of what I want them to believe?
Yeah. It's it's
amazing how when you I sat when I started doing it,
(35:37):
it's like and just started interviewing people and speaking to people. Everyone
has a story. Mhmm. Everyone has,
and some some tell it much much more better than others.
And but it's just the fact that I'll be I'm able
to give these people the opportunity to share their stories, and
hopefully, some someone listening or watching
(36:00):
can resonate it can resonate with them and then they'd be like because one one
of the best comments I received was, me
and a mess I received an email from a friend.
Me and another friend of mine, we we did a show,
and we was talking about
mindset and development and and and everything we
(36:23):
were doing. And she sent me a
message after she had heard the episode and was like, listening to
2 guys that I grew up with talk about mindset and
growth and starting their own business and all this other stuff. I was already on
the I was on the fence about starting a business and listening to these
guy to listen to you guys and and saying, hey. I grew up with these
(36:45):
guys. I know them. They're doing this, this, and
this. Why can't I do this, this, and this?
And so when she sent that message, I was like, this is why I
wanna do the podcast. This is why I continue to do the podcast is to
receive messages like that. Yeah. Because everybody's
in love with numbers. Me?
(37:08):
I I if I can impact a handful of people, I'm doing what I'm supposed
to. I'm I'm I'm I'm re I'm it makes
me feel good to to receive those messages because that's not the only time that's
happened. I've had it a couple other times where numerous times where people
send you a message. And when I read the message and and
listen to their story, it's it's like, wow. I
(37:30):
I've really got something here going still got something going on
here that that people are like, thank you. Keep going. Keep
doing what you're doing. And I'm like, alright. Let's let's keep going.
And, again, like I said, I'm evolving and and changing, and
the I'm sure there'll there'll be things that I'll I'll start doing differently, like, especially
now with the solo episodes. It's it's
(37:53):
it's it's great to continue to do something and evolve
and make it better than just staying stuck on
on one thing and not and not changing it and pivoting and
and going in different directions when the time calls for it.
Mhmm. And most importantly, you're bringing people along with you.
Yeah. That that's something that's very key.
(38:17):
Absolutely. How do you handle
challenges like podcast burnout or or creative
blocks?
With creative blocks, it's having systems to
create episodes. Like, having systems to create
ideas. So not relying on inspiration.
(38:40):
Because inspiration can dry out very quickly.
And being able to have frameworks, processes,
questions that can get your mind
focused enough to come up with a topic. And then I think with
podcasts or burnout, it really depends
on on why. So if it is,
(39:03):
if it is because you are aren't
delegating enough, it's deciding, like, where can you delegate? Where
is it worth it? And going that direction.
However, I don't think that that's usually what causes burnout. I
think what usually causes burnout is when in terms of podcasting
specifically. It's when the person, the
(39:26):
host no longer finds the podcast meaningful.
So they are not getting the messages like the ones that you described, or
they are not getting the listener numbers. So I just had this
conversation with a client where she said, no one is listening to
my podcast. And I said, what is no one? Because if I go
into your dashboard, there there's someone listening. Yeah. She's
(39:48):
like, so what is no one to you? And she was like, oh, are you
gonna tell me the cliche? Like, if you had 10 people in a room, you
would be so excited. I'm like, no. I'm not gonna say that. If you're
saying no one, there that means that there's a number in your head
That's what I have. That you want. So I was like, what is that number?
And so everybody has a different number. Some people are would be
(40:08):
jumping for joy to have 5 people. Some people would be jumping for joy to
have 50. Some people are not gonna be satisfied until they have a
1,000. So I told her. I was like, tell me the number. She told me
the number, and I was like, okay. How do we get you to that
number? So then it's like, what does it take to
get there? And so if she said a 1,000 listens, I'm
(40:31):
like, okay. How would you get to a 1,000? And so then once you have
that direction, you the burnout is not
as likely to happen because you're being honest with yourself.
Because so many people burn out because they're like, no one is
listening. And then they go for advice and people go, yeah. People are listening.
You're doing so good. And they're like, I don't feel like I'm
(40:53):
doing a good job, though. So then they just keep going on
the hamster wheel without feeling like they're getting anywhere. But if they
set that number, they're making progress. But I that actually say with about
having speaking to 10 people in a room. To it's it to me,
it's like it makes sense. Like, if I spoke to 10 people
in a room, that'd be a I I'll be I'll be amazed that I was
(41:15):
able to speak to these 10 people and impact their lives.
So but I I'm blessed. I I I started off with I was
when I reached my first 5 100 when I it took me a
long time to even get to $500, right Yeah. Overall.
And it it was I was I was loving it. I was, like,
amazing. Yeah. Then the the next
(41:38):
year, I jumped to,
what, almost 10,000 downloads to of
everything. And I was like, what? 10,000? Amazing. Right?
Amazing. Yeah. And so and and then every year, it's
been growing. Like, I'll go to almost
this year, but we're we're almost to the total of
(42:01):
40,000 downloads. I've been doing it for 4 years. Wow. Yeah.
And and so in the 1st year, I, like, I
had probably a 1,000. So now I'm up to year 4
with almost 40,000 downloads. That's just audio. That is
that's not including what people want the video when
I transitioned to video now as well. So it's
(42:23):
like the number is even higher than that. So to
to me, it's like, if you
celebrate the small numbers, then you're preparing yourself
for the bigger numbers. I I look at it that way is Mhmm. If you
just celebrate the small numbers, then yeah.
Yeah. And and really what you're doing there is you're finding
(42:45):
meaning along the way. And so a lot of folks lose
sight of that. And that's what kind of gets them to stop very
quickly is because they don't know what they're aiming for and what the
milestones along the way are. So how how do you
measure success of a podcast beyond download numbers?
(43:05):
So because my primary, client
is a business owner, we look at the impact it's
having on the business. So are more people going and inquiring
about your services? Are more people interested in going to your
event? Are more people buying your product? And
that is our kind of ultimate metric because that is
(43:28):
the return on investment they're looking for. Other
things similar to what you were sharing is are people
saying that your podcast is impacting them? Are they saying
this really helped me? Are they saying that they got something out of it?
Because if you're not getting those messages, it's often that
you're talking about things that only you wanna talk about, not that
(43:51):
other people would benefit from. And so
those are the things along the way that let us know. So we, of
course, want the we want it to make dollars and cents, but we also
want it to make sense to the people who are working with you
or who are listening in general. That's absolutely.
(44:11):
So how do you how does someone keep their podcast content fresh
and engaging for long term listeners?
So I I've been playing with this concept recently,
which is, tell so provide
a solution, the same solution to 3
different people in 3 different episodes. So to give you
(44:35):
an example, like, let's say that you are,
a a nutritionist. You help people
eat a little bit better. Instead of doing one episode about meal
planning and trying to stuff all the information in there
Mhmm. Do one episode about meal planning for people
who travel for work. Then do another episode
(44:57):
about meal planning for moms who also work and
don't have any time. And then do a 3rd episode that's, like, meal
planning for people who can't eat the same meal twice. You know,
like, people who are just like they say, I could just never. Right?
So then you're talking about meal planning in all three. But because
you're being so specific with who the episode is for,
(45:20):
you actually get new examples. You talk about it differently. You
explain it differently. And at the end of the day, all 3 people would
benefit from listening to all 3 episodes, but
you grab their attention by making it specific to them and
tailored to their situation. And that also, as a podcaster,
gives you endless, episode ideas
(45:44):
because you know, okay. This week, I worked with this type of person,
this type of person, and this type of person. And then you're able to to
really make it custom.
Absolutely. But
if someone if someone's hesitant to start a podcast, what would you say to
encourage them to take that leap?
(46:06):
I would encourage them to look at why they're hesitant.
So really asking, similar to what you
shared very openly of, like, are you afraid that people
are gonna get to know you? What does that mean? What does it mean? What
is scary about people getting to know you? Yeah. Sometimes people
are hesitant because they think that they need a
(46:28):
cohost, and so they're like, oh, I need someone else. They're depending on someone
else. And I would just ask like, hey. Why is your
message not good enough right away? And then
most often, a a lot of people are hesitant because they don't think they have
the right tools. So maybe they don't know about PodMatch yet.
Maybe they don't know about StreamYard and how StreamYard can
(46:51):
can help you make this easier. Maybe they don't know about
microphones that are really accessible. And so if they get the right
information, then they move on to why am I hesitant
because of a belief or a fear. But it's just looking at what
is holding you back. And so, I encourage you to to
reach out to someone and say, like, hey. Can you help me work through
(47:13):
this? I really wanna start this, but, something's in
my way. And it it's it's
it's, even like like I said earlier, what was it, last week when I
took the course, there was a young lady in there, and,
me and the the the person who's running the course, like I said, I was
a guest on her show. We we both podcast and everything,
(47:36):
and someone else that was there in the course was like, I
wanna start a podcast, but I don't know what what to talk
about. And then later on, I come to find
out, she suffers from anxiety and all this other
stuff and her her battles is and I go,
you know how you said you wanted to start a podcast and you didn't know
(47:59):
what to talk about? There you go.
Talk about your anxiety. Talk about what your struggles and what because that's something you
you you're going through. That's something you know about. You you struggle. And she was
like, oh my god. You're right. So it it's
those moments where you're like, oh, yeah.
Like, yeah. I can talk about that. It is something that I and
(48:22):
people are a lot of people struggles through through anxiety and and the
fear and all the. I said, that's something that that's very important. And you'll
you'll be impacting people's lives. You'll be able to help people with that by
sharing your story. Yeah. And she took the
brave step of vocalizing it. Like, going to someone else and
saying, hey. I want this, but I don't know why I can't have it.
(48:44):
Yeah. And and that's why you were able to help her is because she was
vulnerable and brave enough to be like, I need help. Yeah. I don't yeah.
She's like, I don't know what I don't know. I want to, but I don't
know what to start. And then, like I said, later on to Oregon to her
and then and throughout the course, she expressed what she was struggling through,
and I'm like, there you go. Yeah.
(49:05):
It it answered. Like, things happen for a reason. Like, we we
people connect for a reason. Messages are to be delivered at a certain
time, and I truly do believe that. So that's why Me too.
Being able to do this this show like, this conversation was
supposed to happen because you were supposed to tell me about doing my solo episodes.
Yeah. Drew, like, I've been wanting to
(49:28):
been think that debating it, but speaking to you and hearing your
reason why, it was like, okay. This I guess
this this message was for me today. But
I'm sure somebody else can might have to hear this message as well.
I'm glad. Yeah. And and it's really, like, so
much of the personal is universal. And
(49:50):
the more we we can open ourselves up to that, the
more the right messages will come in. Oh, the
taking that course, I wrote
a letter to the university and expressed that. I also wrote a
prayer that I say now every morning,
(50:11):
and it it it's just been the last like I said, the last few days
has been amazing. Things have been popping
up. Things have been I've been blessed with opportunities,
and it it's like, okay.
2025 is starting off pretty good with with the way
things are falling into place, like, with with the with the
(50:34):
intentions and everything and and being able to
put out just being able to to put out that
put it out there Mhmm. And and and have
results. Like, I won't say instantaneously,
but it they've been happening quicker than I expected. But
it's also all the work that you've put in. You've been doing this for so
(50:56):
long. Yeah. And you've been growing. You've been learning, and you've been
developing yourself for so long. So even though it feels like it's out of thin
air, it's actually just all adding up. It
it's yeah. Because it's it's it's a shift in confidence
in myself. It's put like I said, putting it out
there and putting myself out there more. Like, something for
(51:18):
2025 that I I know I have to really do is I have
to be a guest on one of the podcast. I've been a guest on
shows not enough. Not enough where I've
put myself out there and and been able to share my story.
And being a guest is to start. Putting
myself out there is is something that I intend on doing
(51:40):
it. I've already lined up some shows that I'm gonna be a part of,
and the goal is to appear more podcasting this
year than I have probably in the last 3 or 4 years combined.
I love it. And we're gonna use POD match to do it?
Yes. Yes. I'm about to I'm gonna switch it up. Yeah.
I, another strategy that I heard,
(52:04):
that might serve you in this process is take
the, the guests that you've had
Mhmm. And type their name in
on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. I see where they've been.
All the shows that they've been guests on. And then you pitch them and you
say, hey. You had so and so on. He or she
(52:27):
was on my show, so I know that we're aligned.
Would you like me to join you? I can talk about x, y, and z.
I learned that, like, literally this morning. I was like, that's incredible.
That that is I like that. Right. I like that.
I like that. Even even with, because probably does
something similar where it shows what what shows that you've been
(52:49):
on previously. Mhmm. And so
yeah. Oh, man. Thank you. Right? I
had to share. I learned. I You're just sharing some nuggets today.
Oh. That's what I did. I love that. No. It was somebody
walked me through it this morning, and I was like, this changes the
game? Because so so with PodMatch, PodMatch is incredible for folks
(53:12):
who don't know. It kinda works like a dating app for your Yeah. It is.
For matching. But the thing is sometimes you you get
those 3 matches in the day and you want more. And so you can
take it upon yourself to reach out. And then most people's Apple,
podcast is connected to their email. Yeah. Yeah. So
then you can connect that way. I literally I
(53:35):
was excited. That's something I will be doing I will be doing today. Yeah.
Definitely. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. But we've come to a point that
time has flown by. Yes. Because lately,
honestly, I've been keeping it keeping it short because I I've been keeping it for,
like, 35, 45 minutes, and we're
going towards an hour. But I love it. I love it
(53:56):
because when you when you're having some great conversation and you and the
and it's so much it's so much fun, and time just flies.
You don't even realize it. Absolutely. It's just it's those are the
best shows for me. I I love these shows where things
just they just flow so good. Yeah. And and
I will say, as much as I love talking about
(54:18):
myself, what I'll highlight is that you got to share a lot
about yourself this episode. What? Oh, that because of you,
though. That that's the that's the guest that's the host in you bringing that
out. Thank you. Yeah. But you gotta give yourself room to
shine. That's the message. Yes. You do. You do. You absolutely
do. Yeah. I have to. And like I said, that's why this year, I I
(54:41):
plan on being on more podcasts than I've ever been before because I I've
I need to put myself out there, and I've and I I've been
that's been that should have been something I when you asked what was something
for to yeah. That that is something that is gonna be worked
on and and definitely gonna make
things so much more fun because I get to talk more and and
(55:03):
not have so much work. Absolutely. But
then it grows the show. So you just keep you keep going forward and
you keep bringing a a important message and
important connections to new people. Definitely. Definitely. But now we've come to
this part of the show where you can get the solo layout and, plug it
away and let people know where they can find you. Well,
(55:26):
main place would be instagram at isa media inc, which you can see
here, on the screen. I,
also have a podcast. I have 2 actually. So if you like
interview style episodes like this, I have the thought leaders
podcast with Isabella Sanchez Casana, and that is
interviews with thought leaders in their respective industries. I
(55:48):
did 60 interviews in 60 days last summer, and so those
are being dripped out now. And I would just love
to connect with you, hear what you took away from this episode,
and just feel free to send me a DM again at eesamediainc on
Instagram.
Awesome. Awesome. I don't know if I'm following you on Instagram. I think I
(56:11):
I have to do that. I think I need to follow you. Please do. I
might I'm almost positive I am.
But if I'm not, I'll make sure that I am I'm almost
positive for him, though. Yeah. I wanna hear what, like, stuck out in
people's, minds. Yeah. People so
you hear people reach out to her. If you didn't follow on her,
(56:33):
follow her on Instagram, which I am now.
Nice. I didn't follow her on Instagram. But thank you so much. This
has been a a great episode. Don't leave just yet. Let
me just fill out the show, and we'll here. Okay. We'll chat a little
bit off there. But thank you so much for being such a great guest. Of
course. Thank you so much for having me. Alright,
(56:56):
everybody. Another episode is in the is in the books.
Shout out to everybody who stopped by and left a comment. Really appreciate it. Shadow,
thank you for listen for leaving a comment.
Cece, how you doing? Thank you for stopping by. Abdul
as well, and Mickey Delaney, thank you for for definitely stopping by and
showing some love. As always, big shout out to my RealWise fam,
(57:19):
Papi j, Brandi j, love you guys. Big shout out to the boss
lady. Love you and appreciate everything you do for for me and the
family. If you haven't subscribed,
please do hit the notification bell. If you catch
the replay, leave a comment. I'd greatly appreciate it. Reach
out to Isabella. She definitely wants to hear from you guys. And what did
(57:42):
y'all take from the episode? I I would like to know, so leave me a
comment as well. I would I would like to know what y'all took from the
episode. And as always, a big, big shout out to all the essential
workers out there. God bless y'all. Be safe. You know, your boy and wife,
does it? Peace out.
(58:28):
Thank
And welcome to another episode of Stuck About Mind podcast. I
am your host, w I z e. And my next guest is an award
winning podcast producer. So I mean, strategist producer
and CEO of ISA Media. Welcome to the
show. Sorry about that. I have to take it
off. To the show,
(01:04):
Isabella Sanchez Castaneda. Thank you so much for
having me. My phone started going off. I
am sorry. But how are you doing? I'm doing well today. How are you?
I'm good. I'm excited to speak to you because,
being that I'm a podcaster, I want I wanna pick your brain and
ask you about what's going on, especially with podcasting in
(01:27):
2025. Mhmm. So, let's just jump right into
it. Absolutely. What would you like to know? Alright. What
what first is what inspired you to to to transition
from journalism to podcasting, and how has that
shaped your approach to storytelling? Absolutely.
So I know that there are so many people
(01:49):
with really great stories. And the beauty of podcasting
is that you can really access
it for free even. Right? There's so many really great tools that you can
use, that you can build your show with, and that allows
so many more people to share what they're really about. Now
the challenge with that is that so many people
(02:12):
don't know how to tell their story in a way that is clear
and that gets people to take action. And the benefit I had
with being in journalism for so long was that I
could tell a story in that way. And so I love marrying the two
things so that people can really put themselves out there
and be really proud of the work that they're
(02:34):
sharing. And so I was able to transition over.
I had the, storytelling skill, and I didn't think
I had the podcasting skill until someone asked me,
hey. Can you do my show? And I looked, and I was like, actually, I
can. I I had studied the editing. I had studied, how to put it
together, how to interview. And so it very
(02:56):
naturally flowed. I just had to kinda look and give myself the
credit. Awesome.
What what what can you share about this the story
behind the fine founding of, Ice Media Inc?
Yeah. So, so I'll say it's Issa Media. I'm
sorry. That's okay. So, it was
(03:18):
actually because I graduated during the pandemic
and, was in a role that I thought I had wanted
for years. Like, literally thought I wanted it since I
was in elementary school. And once it was actually in it,
I realized that I didn't necessarily want it.
And because of the pandemic, it wasn't something that I could just
(03:41):
jump and try a new role right away. I was very
fortunate that, both my parents are are business owners
kind of out of necessity, and and they really encouraged me. They were like, why
don't you just go out on your own? And I thought that that was,
it was too early to do that because I was so
green. But really, again, it's it's about looking
(04:03):
and seeing where you already have the skills and where you
already have what other people want. And
so for me, it was the storytelling and and being able to lean into that.
Okay. What what's one piece of advice you wish you
had when you first started podcasting?
(04:25):
To plan and pre produce more
than I did. So when I first started, I did 30
days of podcast episodes, daily podcast episodes solo.
Mhmm. And I was just talking about whatever
came to mind, whatever I wanted to talk about that day. And
then for a while, I realized like, why isn't this working? Why isn't
(04:47):
the show growing? Why aren't people interested in my
services? Because I started the podcast for, promoting my
business. And I realized I was like, oh, I'm not
practicing what I preach, which is to really plan and look at what
is the story that you wanna tell and what are people going to walk away
with. I was just winging it, and I wish
(05:09):
that someone had pulled me aside and been like, hey. You need to plan.
And I also realized that if they had, I probably wouldn't have listened in the
beginning anyway. Yeah. No. I
I I don't I don't come from a media background. And so when I
started my podcast was at the beginning of the
pandemic, I was furloughed from my job. Right now, I'm a pit boss in
(05:32):
a casino, so it was I had I was
home, didn't have much to do. I had already purchased the equipment
for podcast. They bought me a a Burner's studio
$160 on Amazon. And I was messing around with it, just playing around with
it. And I just kept making up excuses to why I couldn't make up Google
Podcasts. Mhmm. They'll listen to me. Why would why
(05:54):
just making up excuses. And then I finally recorded
5 to 7 minutes with my nephew. Didn't didn't have all the
hookups correctly, but it was just it was just the beginning. And
Yeah. I released it. And so he he was battling me on
not releasing it because he was like, we gotta wait till we get better. I
was like, no. I want I wanna show people the
(06:16):
growth. I wanna show them where we started at Yeah.
Where we're at now. I said I said, it's it's okay. It's it's just
the point is that I started. I want that was that was my key goal
is to get it out there and launch it. And so with each episode, I
just improved. Mhmm. Each episode, it was like, okay. I'm learning new
things. I've I've learned how to edit episodes. I've learned how to edit video.
(06:39):
I've learned about quality of mics, what mics use, whatnot, and what and
I I started investing in myself. Started taking courses
just because I fell in love with podcasting.
I didn't know I had a voice. This isn't something I this is not something
I was, like, planning. But, like, you, it it was
eventually, I learned I learned that, yeah, you need to start planning. You need to
(07:02):
start studying, doing getting getting questions
correct. You whatever you whatever you're gonna do, you really start have to start
planning your podcast out and and which have which I'm
still doing and growing because it's always an evolution. Every year, I'm
improving, and every year, I'm adding new details to it. So to
say, did I start out the right path? No. I'd but it was
(07:23):
me just taking that that leap and and actually just
releasing my first episode. Yeah. What does your planning process look like
now?
Oh, the schedule the scheduling is easy because I use
PodMatch. So to find guests, that was one of my biggest issues
was finding guests, especially in this field field and
(07:46):
everything. I want and the conversations that I wanted to have. So
using PodMax to find my guests, getting me a
calendar. Because before I would, you know, hear this recording,
I had to learn how to use the calendar and start scheduling it and making
sure this is the time and making sure that I scheduled it
(08:07):
at the same time every time. I didn't want a very I wanted a
dedicated, this is the time I have to record. So I had to learn
at certain if this is the time you record, this is the time you
record. So calendar,
within last 2 years, I started doing more automation
as far as sending out my emails and all this stuff that
(08:29):
I did, collecting, emails, all these
other stuff that I didn't know. This past year, I
started focusing more on affiliate marketing, using
affiliate codes and stuff like that to help offset some of the costs that
I have. I use my StreamYard pays for itself
with this with the affiliate link that I use to StreamYard.
(08:52):
Yeah. PodMatch pays for itself because
they pay me a percentage when I interview certain people.
That's cool. I don't charge to interview people, but it they're
giving me they're giving back to the podcaster,
which I love. So I big shout out to Alex Sanfilippo and then his team
over there at PodMatch. They're doing some wonderful things.
(09:14):
And and just so many different other things that I'm still learning from, that I'm
still learning and trying to adapt. And and, this year, I I
need to learn how to relinquish some
duties. To outsource. Yeah. That's what
we I I wanna definitely, also shout out
PodMatch. PodMatch has been incredible, on the guesting side as
(09:36):
well. And so for anyone listening, if you want to guest on more podcasts
or you wanna start your own and interview people, Podmatch is the
place to go. And, yeah, Alex and
Alicia are just great founders. So Yeah. Looking forward
to hanging out with them. I'm looking I'll I'll be at Podfest, so I'm looking
forward to hanging out with them. I've been every time I've gone,
(09:58):
I've been able to hang out with them and spend some time with them. So
That's amazing. Able to really build a relationship with them and and so many other
wonderful people that I meet that that I've met down the podcast and
just that's one thing I've been able to build some great relationships.
Yeah. It is is connecting with fellow podcasters and and other people,
the like minded people, and it's this this
(10:20):
community is amazing. It's, like, one of the best communities I've
ever been in park because so many people are looking to help you.
If they see that you're you're investing in yourself and you want the help,
it's amazing how people be like, oh, how can I help you? What can I
do to to make you successful and and and help build you
up? Absolutely. And so tell me about the outsourcing.
(10:42):
Like, you're saying that, that's a struggle. What's going on?
Just things I know I should give up. Like, I should be I should
be able to, have a VA come and and set up the studio
for me and and set up my questions and every but for
some reason, it's just just haven't done it. But
(11:02):
I have a meeting tomorrow. I actually have a meeting with someone tomorrow about
hiring them and and bringing them on as a as a
VA and and getting some help to alleviate some
stuff that I don't have to focus on and Yeah. Focus on
the stuff that I really truly wanna focus on. Mhmm. Like, what? What do you
wanna focus on? It's whose show is this? Is it my show? It's
(11:26):
He's just like asking a question. Joke. Is it joke?
Oh, there's so many different things I wanna do.
This past week, I was,
I I was someone who I had guest on their I was a
guest on their podcast, and they sent me an e
they sent the email just a email, and they were given a they they did
(11:50):
a 5 day course on,
on faith and and and instilling faith in in what you're doing and all
that. And for some re I I I signed up.
And the thing was he coaches women. And but I signed up and
took the course, and it was an amazing 5 days.
(12:10):
Like, it was so many things happened in those 5 days.
Like, I wrote a letter to the to the
universe about wanting to improve on wanting
to really focus on building my coachings and all
that. And I
I get a coaching opportunity just pops up the very next day.
(12:32):
Wow. And and it was crazy the the the way it happened. And
then, I I put out something
else very next day. It
it it it happens. It transpires, and it's like,
what what's going on here? What is what is what is this what is
this what is this, this feeling and and everything? And it was
(12:54):
just it was just an amazing course and to be able
to now just
go go in go ahead. My my goal for 2025 is to
go with more intention, with more intention of of
just expressing what I want from my podcast and expressing
(13:15):
what I want from my audience and get and giving them stuff like that. So
it was just it was it was great. I love that.
But now let's get back to asking you some questions.
Sounds good. I'll probably turn it back around, but that's okay. That's
fine. How do you help how do you help personal brands stand out
in in in a in a crowded podcast? Well, I don't really
(13:37):
let me I need to rephrase that. How do you step because I don't feel
it's crowded. How do you feel
how do you help personal brands stand out in in in the in
podcasting? How how what is it that you do that
makes your podcast different? Yeah.
So right now, a lot of people talk about,
(14:00):
like, oversaturation with podcasting. I don't believe in that mainly because
most people, can't stick to it. Like, don't
don't go past 10 episodes. And so we've talked about that for a long
time. What I'm looking toward in 2025
now is very to
stand out, it's going past the generic content.
(14:23):
So a lot of folks now have this access to this
incredible thing, AI. And so they're going to AI and they're
asking AI, hey, I'm a health coach. What are three
things I should tell my audience this week? And so
AI is giving them 3 very generic points
that basically anyone could have shared.
(14:46):
And so then every health coach is sharing the same three points
on their podcast episodes if they've stuck past 10 episodes.
Right? So my goal then is
to focus on what is uniquely yours to share.
So maybe you do start with AI telling you those three points, but how
can you describe those three points in a way that no one else
(15:09):
can describe? And really
going deeper rather than wider. And so going
more into like, hey, I know this because of this experience that
I had, or I know this because of this person that I worked with. And
so to give you an example, something that I've been working on just
in the past few weeks is what makes me as a
(15:31):
podcast strategist or as a communication strategist different?
And I'm like, well, I, was
a tour guide for a really long time. And then
I have a a background in journalism, and now I'm
also on the side, a yoga teacher. And so how
do those three things combine together to give me a
(15:54):
skill set that other podcast strategies strategists don't have?
And so if I explain three points that everyone else has explained
before, but I explain it from that point of view, then it
stands out because it's not just the right now,
everyone's talking about goals. Right? So everyone's talking about the Atomic Habits by
James Clear. And it's a great book, but everyone
(16:16):
references it. And so if you're the person
talking about goal setting and you don't reference them, you instead have something
different, you stand out. And so it's really about
asking what can you uniquely say
and just look at what got you here. What are the things
that you did that built the skill
(16:38):
set that you currently have? Yeah.
Yeah. For me, personally, it's it's been
just investing in myself, learning, getting coaching,
speaking to not afraid to to ask questions,
learning from different people, networking.
(16:58):
Networking was very important. It's been something that's,
helped me learn so much because people see that,
I'm wanting to learn, and they offer me opportunities. I've been offered
a couple of opportunities to to to
be a part of beta testers, and and and it's helped me because
it's helped me improve on certain things that I I didn't know about. So it
(17:21):
was like it it's opened up so many opportunities for me.
And and Absolutely. I just love the relationships I'm getting to build from it
as well. And do you do solo episodes on your
show? At that's at first, I started off as
solo episodes, and it was, at the time, it was the
pandemic and George Floyd situation, the election,
(17:44):
and and I was not enjoying it. I was I
was I was enjoying the podcasting. I was Mhmm.
Loving the I was like that I was stepping out of my comfort zone and
doing something that I normally didn't do. And just
so when I started interviewing people,
I truly fell in love with it. That's when I was like, oh, I love
(18:05):
this. Being able to ask questions and learn and and have
people just share their knowledge and share their
stories. Because I started speaking with people from all over the
world, and, yes, we're all uniquely
different, but a lot of us have the same wants. We wanna
be successful. We want our family to be well off. We want us
(18:28):
and we want to be able to help and serve others. And it it it's
just amazing that there are so many people out there like that,
but now with the way it
is, you can really actually communicate with people from around the world and
get and see and see it from their eyes and learn and be able to
speak to them and hear their story. It it's to me, it's
(18:50):
like, wow. Like Yeah. Had I not had I not stepped
into this world, I would've never learned so much. I've
learned probably so much in the last 4 years than I have
to the 10 years prior to that. And
I hear this a lot with people who love doing interviews is that then they
don't go back to solo episodes. Which don't which
(19:12):
sometimes I I do when I when I say a a guest doesn't show
up or cancels on me. I'll go and then I'll do a solo
episode. I'll I'll Yeah. Look at it. If I have something on my mind and
I wanna discuss it or there's some topic that there's some there's always
something that something will happen, and I'm like, alright. This is what I
wanna discuss because Yeah. On my mind or something like
(19:35):
or a topic comes up across all social
media, and I'm like, that's an interesting topic. I don't have anything to talk about.
I guess I can talk about that. So there's been there's been times
where I've had to do a solo episode, which I don't mind.
I I started off that way. It's great. Yeah. But, yes, I I I
enjoy more of the conversation pieces. I would
(19:56):
encourage you to because you said your word of the year is intention.
And I would encourage you to, with intention, do
solo episodes where you talk about the things that you've learned
over the past 4 years with the podcast. And so you say,
you know, these are 3 things I've learned about relationships from the
guests I've had on my podcast. These are 3 things I've learned about
(20:19):
business from the guests I've had on my podcast. And what that does is
it lets you still be in a position of
people getting to know you and what matters to you, but it
also repromotes those episodes. So you're able to
go back and say, oh, this episode with, you know,
Susie, she taught me these things about business. If you
(20:41):
wanna learn everything that Susie shared, go listen to
episode, you know, 157. And then
you're able to do it with intention, but also
just create this ecosystem where people wanna go deeper with you.
Because the challenge with a lot of interview based shows
is that you've built an amazing community, and people wanna get
(21:05):
to know you. But you're always turning it to the other
person, so then they never get to know you. And
that them getting to know you more will open up
even further opportunities for you to bring people up the way
that other people have brought you up. Oh,
man. I'm I like that. I like that. I'm gonna I'm gonna do
(21:27):
that. Actually, I've never thought I've never thought about that. It's
it's definitely oh, man. I should've been taking notes, but I got the recording, so
I'm good. Good. I'm just gonna plug in my
computer. But,
what and, again, what that allows you to do is it it flexes a
muscle of not just absorbing all of
(21:50):
the information, but doing something with the information. Because
so many of us love to learn and love to
take in information and love to get more and get more and get more,
but then it is through sharing that we actually learn it
deeper. And by curating it and
really saying, like, this is actually what it is, you will learn it
(22:12):
more, and you get to share the wealth with people who maybe don't
want to sit through a full interview. They just wanna get the golden
pieces. Yeah. Yeah. Oh,
oh, so if he will be pay pay,
coming soon, some some more solo episodes.
Definitely. Thank you. Yeah. And and things that they're gonna get
(22:35):
so much out of, like, those are episodes that are so shareable Yeah. Because they're
really easy to digest. Mhmm.
Absolutely. So, we have we've had a cup we have a couple of
people left comments. Mickey Delaney says, hi, Wise. Hi,
Isabelle. How are we doing? We're I'm doing fine, Mickey. Thank you for stopping
by. Someone
(22:57):
asked, are you related to Stephan Sanchez? Not that I know
of. And, I guess, guys, read some
comments. There you go, Abdul. We read some comments. Alright. So
what what is what are some of the common most common mistakes you see
podcastes make, and how can they how can they fix
them? Well, one is one that we were just talking
(23:20):
about, which is not doing solo episodes. So
it's it's just giving away the community entirely
without taking again that credit for, hey, you built this community
and you have something to share with them as well. I would say that's number
1 for guest based shows. The other
aspect of it is not having,
(23:43):
calls to action at the end of the episode. And so even
if it's with a guest or solo, not directing
people where they should go and seeing it as an
invitation. So a lot of times people are afraid to use a call to action
because they see it as a pitch, but it's really an invitation.
Just letting people know, hey. If you enjoyed this, why don't we continue
(24:06):
to be in each other's ecosystem? As far as
so later on in the show, you're gonna get your little
segment where it's just you on the screen, and you get to
plug away and and pitch yourself and all that. And that's something I've I've always
felt like, alright. Yes. We're gonna have a great conversation, but I also need you
them to get directed to where you're at.
(24:30):
It is it's so important because, again, it's like, why are
we consuming all of this information? Mhmm. We
ideally want to do something with it. And
a lot of times, hosts again think that they are protecting their
audience in some way by not doing the call to action. But, really, their
(24:50):
audience is going to if they're really lit up by the topic that you share
Yeah. They will go somewhere else and still
get whatever it is that they need.
What else would I say is a huge mistake? I actually have
a, a free guide where I
have 5 mistakes listed on there. And I'm trying to
(25:12):
remember the other 3.
I know not doing solo is a huge one, the
not calls to action. And then also,
just not planning it. Again, going back to
not having the right intention with it where people are winging it, and so
(25:33):
then their audience isn't getting the message that they want them to
get. And then they're confused why they're not getting the results that they wanna get
from the show. Those would be my big
3. Okay. What what what's what's your favorite
part of of the podcast creation process and
why? I love
(25:55):
the scripting process. Okay. The planning process. So
if it's, for solo episodes, it's full scripts. I do believe in word
for word. And then you can kind of iterate on it once you're
recording, but just in the preparation, the deep work of it,
or the guest question preparation.
I don't know if you watch the hot ones, but they always tell the
(26:18):
host, like, oh my goodness. I've never been asked that before. Or, like, how did
you know that? That is a great
response and so satisfying when you're the interviewer,
to get someone saying that. And so I love just the preproduction,
the planning aspect of it all.
Oh, it it drives me crazy, right, when a guest
(26:41):
sends me questions they want me to ask. And,
I'm like, no. I because I want because when I I wanna
ask questions I wanna ask because I wanted to I don't want it to come
I don't want I don't want the guests to sound like they're
reading a script or anything. I want them to just be able to come out
and and be themselves and and just Yeah. Whatever comes
(27:03):
whatever comes out your mind and your mouth at that moment. That's great. Like, that's
what I want. So for me, I like And you know
your audience best. You know what people are hoping to
hear on your show. And so I think that that is a level
of trust that your audience has placed in you. Yeah. Definitely.
(27:24):
Okay. Can can you share,
a a success story of a client who who transformed their
brand through podcasting? Because it's important like,
podcasting is it's, very important when when now
with all these brand with the brands and and trying to build your
(27:44):
business. Absolutely. So
I think of, my favorite one to tell is Danielle. So
she waited 4 years to start her podcast. She
was, yeah, she was in business. Like, since the moment
she started her business, she was like, I really wanna start a podcast,
But she kept telling herself that she couldn't do it. So similar to what
(28:07):
you're saying before, like, it's the starting that's important. She was telling
herself all the reasons why she couldn't start. And
that was keeping her small, not just with the podcast, but with other
areas of her business because it all goes back to, like, are you
giving yourself enough credit? And I didn't expect
that to be the theme of today's episode, but apparently it is. And,
(28:32):
she was able to see how much she actually
knows by putting it into a podcast. And so she's done solo
episodes. She recently hit, I believe, episode
40 or 41. And that was after
waiting so long to do it. And when she did it, she was like, oh,
wow. I love this. And she plans her episodes weekly and is able to
(28:54):
really build. And so now people see her as more of an authority.
People see her as more of an expert in marketing.
So hers, specialty is marketing. She actually
worked at a concrete company for over 10 years. And
so she comes with this deep knowledge that a lot of other marketers
don't have, and she was able to kind of flex it and really show it
(29:16):
to people on her show. And that's called Marketing That Works with Danielle
Harris. Okay. Oh, there we go. Shout out to
Danielle Harris. Yeah.
It's it's for me, it's been, it's been it's been an amazing
just the the growth and and just
the way it's it's been moving. Like, I started Simply Audio.
(29:40):
I was Simply Audio at first, didn't do video. It was funny
because I was using StreamYard to record the audio onto my broadcaster.
And so, like, when I got to, like, episode 130
something and I had a husband and wife marketing
strategist come on the show, The husband was like, do
you do you do video? I'm like, no. I'm not
(30:02):
ready. I'm just made I made up every excuse in the book.
He wasn't asking me the question again, and I'm still making up
excuses. Then the third time he asked me, I just
go to this button and go record. Yes. I do video
now. And and and I knew what he was getting
at, but, again, it was those insecurities that you have, and you're
(30:25):
like, I don't I'm not I need to wait till I get the mic ready,
the the picture, the camera. I need my background to be set up
correctly. All these excuses. But
he was like, dude, you already I knew what he was getting at because it
was like, I'm already using the platform to record.
Why not just use just release the video? Mhmm. And so I
(30:46):
started doing videos. And
from video, I I I went to
doing live shows now 3 times a week because,
first of all, I was tired of editing, and I just didn't wanna edit
anymore. And I and I plus I had more fun doing some doing the lives
(31:07):
because now when people interact and leave comments, they become a
part of the show. So now it's their show as well
now. So for me, it was just that aspect of
first of all, like I said, I didn't wanna edit anymore. And then just having
an audience and having them in the rack and send and leave
comments. Sometimes there's, like, the comments lines is just filling up,
(31:30):
and it it's great it's great to have those. And and
so I love that aspect of it. Yeah.
So it's been it's been it's been
fun with the growth, and I'm still changing and evolving
and working on things and making sure that I improve
in certain areas. So Yeah. What would you say is
(31:53):
the excuse you're currently using against yourself?
As far as podcasting goes? Sure. Oh, man.
What excuses am I am I using?
I don't know. I don't you made a good point with the solo episode with
just doing the solo episodes. To me, that was something I I've
(32:13):
been wanting to like, I started doing something
called WISE IN AM where it was strictly
solo, and I was doing pretty good with it and everything. And then,
my mom got sick and and and passed away, and I kind
of stopped doing them. This year, like I said, I'm plan on
doing more things with intention, so I'm gonna go back and start doing doing the
(32:37):
that show and and and putting it out there. And it
was just it was
it was like that was one of the biggest things for me
was afraid of
how, like, how you said, not letting people get to know me. Like,
(32:59):
yes. I'm into joining people and let and
and promoting them and then giving them their shine, But
I don't know why I was afraid to to let
people win in my world. Even though I do share some of my stories once
in a while, but speaking to you now today and hearing what
you had to say, it made a lot of sense.
(33:21):
I I do have to sit down and do some more solo episodes. It's very
important because it is important that people get to see a
different side of me besides the interviewer part.
Mhmm. Yeah. Because you've
you've lived through things that can also help people. Yeah.
Definitely. Definitely. So what role does
(33:45):
storytelling play in creating a content, creating a
podcast that resonates with with listeners?
So stories make the unfamiliar familiar.
Mhmm. So there are things that
people universally understand, and then there's a whole bunch of things that
we don't understand. And so the more that you can
(34:09):
use a story to explain to someone
what you mean, the more quickly and
the eat more easily people will understand what you're saying.
So it's why we use, so many
stories with little kids. And so with little kids, we don't tell them
like, hey. Don't give up. Keep pushing. That
(34:31):
doesn't stick. They don't know what that means yet. So then we tell them the
story of the little engine that could. And it's
like, I think I can. I think I can. And just, like, continuing to go.
Or if you were to tell a little kid for the first time, like, hey.
Don't be in a rush. Like, being in a rush, is
gonna hurt you in the end. Or, hey. You know, take
(34:53):
your time with things. They'd be like, I don't I don't know what
that means. So we tell them the story of the tortoise and hare. We
tell them that, you know, slow and steady wins the race. And
over time, those stories become our belief systems
because they took something that was unfamiliar and made them familiar.
And getting practice in that, like, looking around you and
(35:16):
saying, how can I compare this thing over here to this thing over here
and make them match so that people understand
the the core of what I want them to believe?
Yeah. It's it's
amazing how when you I sat when I started doing it,
(35:37):
it's like and just started interviewing people and speaking to people. Everyone
has a story. Mhmm. Everyone has,
and some some tell it much much more better than others.
And but it's just the fact that I'll be I'm able
to give these people the opportunity to share their stories, and
hopefully, some someone listening or watching
(36:00):
can resonate it can resonate with them and then they'd be like because one one
of the best comments I received was, me
and a mess I received an email from a friend.
Me and another friend of mine, we we did a show,
and we was talking about
mindset and development and and and everything we
(36:23):
were doing. And she sent me a
message after she had heard the episode and was like, listening to
2 guys that I grew up with talk about mindset and
growth and starting their own business and all this other stuff. I was already on
the I was on the fence about starting a business and listening to these
guy to listen to you guys and and saying, hey. I grew up with these
(36:45):
guys. I know them. They're doing this, this, and
this. Why can't I do this, this, and this?
And so when she sent that message, I was like, this is why I
wanna do the podcast. This is why I continue to do the podcast is to
receive messages like that. Yeah. Because everybody's
in love with numbers. Me?
(37:08):
I I if I can impact a handful of people, I'm doing what I'm supposed
to. I'm I'm I'm I'm re I'm it makes
me feel good to to receive those messages because that's not the only time that's
happened. I've had it a couple other times where numerous times where people
send you a message. And when I read the message and and
listen to their story, it's it's like, wow. I
(37:30):
I've really got something here going still got something going on
here that that people are like, thank you. Keep going. Keep
doing what you're doing. And I'm like, alright. Let's let's keep going.
And, again, like I said, I'm evolving and and changing, and
the I'm sure there'll there'll be things that I'll I'll start doing differently, like, especially
now with the solo episodes. It's it's
(37:53):
it's it's great to continue to do something and evolve
and make it better than just staying stuck on
on one thing and not and not changing it and pivoting and
and going in different directions when the time calls for it.
Mhmm. And most importantly, you're bringing people along with you.
Yeah. That that's something that's very key.
(38:17):
Absolutely. How do you handle
challenges like podcast burnout or or creative
blocks?
With creative blocks, it's having systems to
create episodes. Like, having systems to create
ideas. So not relying on inspiration.
(38:40):
Because inspiration can dry out very quickly.
And being able to have frameworks, processes,
questions that can get your mind
focused enough to come up with a topic. And then I think with
podcasts or burnout, it really depends
on on why. So if it is,
(39:03):
if it is because you are aren't
delegating enough, it's deciding, like, where can you delegate? Where
is it worth it? And going that direction.
However, I don't think that that's usually what causes burnout. I
think what usually causes burnout is when in terms of podcasting
specifically. It's when the person, the
(39:26):
host no longer finds the podcast meaningful.
So they are not getting the messages like the ones that you described, or
they are not getting the listener numbers. So I just had this
conversation with a client where she said, no one is listening to
my podcast. And I said, what is no one? Because if I go
into your dashboard, there there's someone listening. Yeah. She's
(39:48):
like, so what is no one to you? And she was like, oh, are you
gonna tell me the cliche? Like, if you had 10 people in a room, you
would be so excited. I'm like, no. I'm not gonna say that. If you're
saying no one, there that means that there's a number in your head
That's what I have. That you want. So I was like, what is that number?
And so everybody has a different number. Some people are would be
(40:08):
jumping for joy to have 5 people. Some people would be jumping for joy to
have 50. Some people are not gonna be satisfied until they have a
1,000. So I told her. I was like, tell me the number. She told me
the number, and I was like, okay. How do we get you to that
number? So then it's like, what does it take to
get there? And so if she said a 1,000 listens, I'm
(40:31):
like, okay. How would you get to a 1,000? And so then once you have
that direction, you the burnout is not
as likely to happen because you're being honest with yourself.
Because so many people burn out because they're like, no one is
listening. And then they go for advice and people go, yeah. People are listening.
You're doing so good. And they're like, I don't feel like I'm
(40:53):
doing a good job, though. So then they just keep going on
the hamster wheel without feeling like they're getting anywhere. But if they
set that number, they're making progress. But I that actually say with about
having speaking to 10 people in a room. To it's it to me,
it's like it makes sense. Like, if I spoke to 10 people
in a room, that'd be a I I'll be I'll be amazed that I was
(41:15):
able to speak to these 10 people and impact their lives.
So but I I'm blessed. I I I started off with I was
when I reached my first 5 100 when I it took me a
long time to even get to $500, right Yeah. Overall.
And it it was I was I was loving it. I was, like,
amazing. Yeah. Then the the next
(41:38):
year, I jumped to,
what, almost 10,000 downloads to of
everything. And I was like, what? 10,000? Amazing. Right?
Amazing. Yeah. And so and and then every year, it's
been growing. Like, I'll go to almost
this year, but we're we're almost to the total of
(42:01):
40,000 downloads. I've been doing it for 4 years. Wow. Yeah.
And and so in the 1st year, I, like, I
had probably a 1,000. So now I'm up to year 4
with almost 40,000 downloads. That's just audio. That is
that's not including what people want the video when
I transitioned to video now as well. So it's
(42:23):
like the number is even higher than that. So to
to me, it's like, if you
celebrate the small numbers, then you're preparing yourself
for the bigger numbers. I I look at it that way is Mhmm. If you
just celebrate the small numbers, then yeah.
Yeah. And and really what you're doing there is you're finding
(42:45):
meaning along the way. And so a lot of folks lose
sight of that. And that's what kind of gets them to stop very
quickly is because they don't know what they're aiming for and what the
milestones along the way are. So how how do you
measure success of a podcast beyond download numbers?
(43:05):
So because my primary, client
is a business owner, we look at the impact it's
having on the business. So are more people going and inquiring
about your services? Are more people interested in going to your
event? Are more people buying your product? And
that is our kind of ultimate metric because that is
(43:28):
the return on investment they're looking for. Other
things similar to what you were sharing is are people
saying that your podcast is impacting them? Are they saying
this really helped me? Are they saying that they got something out of it?
Because if you're not getting those messages, it's often that
you're talking about things that only you wanna talk about, not that
(43:51):
other people would benefit from. And so
those are the things along the way that let us know. So we, of
course, want the we want it to make dollars and cents, but we also
want it to make sense to the people who are working with you
or who are listening in general. That's absolutely.
(44:11):
So how do you how does someone keep their podcast content fresh
and engaging for long term listeners?
So I I've been playing with this concept recently,
which is, tell so provide
a solution, the same solution to 3
different people in 3 different episodes. So to give you
(44:35):
an example, like, let's say that you are,
a a nutritionist. You help people
eat a little bit better. Instead of doing one episode about meal
planning and trying to stuff all the information in there
Mhmm. Do one episode about meal planning for people
who travel for work. Then do another episode
(44:57):
about meal planning for moms who also work and
don't have any time. And then do a 3rd episode that's, like, meal
planning for people who can't eat the same meal twice. You know,
like, people who are just like they say, I could just never. Right?
So then you're talking about meal planning in all three. But because
you're being so specific with who the episode is for,
(45:20):
you actually get new examples. You talk about it differently. You
explain it differently. And at the end of the day, all 3 people would
benefit from listening to all 3 episodes, but
you grab their attention by making it specific to them and
tailored to their situation. And that also, as a podcaster,
gives you endless, episode ideas
(45:44):
because you know, okay. This week, I worked with this type of person,
this type of person, and this type of person. And then you're able to to
really make it custom.
Absolutely. But
if someone if someone's hesitant to start a podcast, what would you say to
encourage them to take that leap?
(46:06):
I would encourage them to look at why they're hesitant.
So really asking, similar to what you
shared very openly of, like, are you afraid that people
are gonna get to know you? What does that mean? What does it mean? What
is scary about people getting to know you? Yeah. Sometimes people
are hesitant because they think that they need a
(46:28):
cohost, and so they're like, oh, I need someone else. They're depending on someone
else. And I would just ask like, hey. Why is your
message not good enough right away? And then
most often, a a lot of people are hesitant because they don't think they have
the right tools. So maybe they don't know about PodMatch yet.
Maybe they don't know about StreamYard and how StreamYard can
(46:51):
can help you make this easier. Maybe they don't know about
microphones that are really accessible. And so if they get the right
information, then they move on to why am I hesitant
because of a belief or a fear. But it's just looking at what
is holding you back. And so, I encourage you to to
reach out to someone and say, like, hey. Can you help me work through
(47:13):
this? I really wanna start this, but, something's in
my way. And it it's it's
it's, even like like I said earlier, what was it, last week when I
took the course, there was a young lady in there, and,
me and the the the person who's running the course, like I said, I was
a guest on her show. We we both podcast and everything,
(47:36):
and someone else that was there in the course was like, I
wanna start a podcast, but I don't know what what to talk
about. And then later on, I come to find
out, she suffers from anxiety and all this other
stuff and her her battles is and I go,
you know how you said you wanted to start a podcast and you didn't know
(47:59):
what to talk about? There you go.
Talk about your anxiety. Talk about what your struggles and what because that's something you
you you're going through. That's something you know about. You you struggle. And she was
like, oh my god. You're right. So it it's
those moments where you're like, oh, yeah.
Like, yeah. I can talk about that. It is something that I and
(48:22):
people are a lot of people struggles through through anxiety and and the
fear and all the. I said, that's something that that's very important. And you'll
you'll be impacting people's lives. You'll be able to help people with that by
sharing your story. Yeah. And she took the
brave step of vocalizing it. Like, going to someone else and
saying, hey. I want this, but I don't know why I can't have it.
(48:44):
Yeah. And and that's why you were able to help her is because she was
vulnerable and brave enough to be like, I need help. Yeah. I don't yeah.
She's like, I don't know what I don't know. I want to, but I don't
know what to start. And then, like I said, later on to Oregon to her
and then and throughout the course, she expressed what she was struggling through,
and I'm like, there you go. Yeah.
(49:05):
It it answered. Like, things happen for a reason. Like, we we
people connect for a reason. Messages are to be delivered at a certain
time, and I truly do believe that. So that's why Me too.
Being able to do this this show like, this conversation was
supposed to happen because you were supposed to tell me about doing my solo episodes.
Yeah. Drew, like, I've been wanting to
(49:28):
been think that debating it, but speaking to you and hearing your
reason why, it was like, okay. This I guess
this this message was for me today. But
I'm sure somebody else can might have to hear this message as well.
I'm glad. Yeah. And and it's really, like, so
much of the personal is universal. And
(49:50):
the more we we can open ourselves up to that, the
more the right messages will come in. Oh, the
taking that course, I wrote
a letter to the university and expressed that. I also wrote a
prayer that I say now every morning,
(50:11):
and it it it's just been the last like I said, the last few days
has been amazing. Things have been popping
up. Things have been I've been blessed with opportunities,
and it it's like, okay.
2025 is starting off pretty good with with the way
things are falling into place, like, with with the with the
(50:34):
intentions and everything and and being able to
put out just being able to to put out that
put it out there Mhmm. And and and have
results. Like, I won't say instantaneously,
but it they've been happening quicker than I expected. But
it's also all the work that you've put in. You've been doing this for so
(50:56):
long. Yeah. And you've been growing. You've been learning, and you've been
developing yourself for so long. So even though it feels like it's out of thin
air, it's actually just all adding up. It
it's yeah. Because it's it's it's a shift in confidence
in myself. It's put like I said, putting it out
there and putting myself out there more. Like, something for
(51:18):
2025 that I I know I have to really do is I have
to be a guest on one of the podcast. I've been a guest on
shows not enough. Not enough where I've
put myself out there and and been able to share my story.
And being a guest is to start. Putting
myself out there is is something that I intend on doing
(51:40):
it. I've already lined up some shows that I'm gonna be a part of,
and the goal is to appear more podcasting this
year than I have probably in the last 3 or 4 years combined.
I love it. And we're gonna use POD match to do it?
Yes. Yes. I'm about to I'm gonna switch it up. Yeah.
I, another strategy that I heard,
(52:04):
that might serve you in this process is take
the, the guests that you've had
Mhmm. And type their name in
on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. I see where they've been.
All the shows that they've been guests on. And then you pitch them and you
say, hey. You had so and so on. He or she
(52:27):
was on my show, so I know that we're aligned.
Would you like me to join you? I can talk about x, y, and z.
I learned that, like, literally this morning. I was like, that's incredible.
That that is I like that. Right. I like that.
I like that. Even even with, because probably does
something similar where it shows what what shows that you've been
(52:49):
on previously. Mhmm. And so
yeah. Oh, man. Thank you. Right? I
had to share. I learned. I You're just sharing some nuggets today.
Oh. That's what I did. I love that. No. It was somebody
walked me through it this morning, and I was like, this changes the
game? Because so so with PodMatch, PodMatch is incredible for folks
(53:12):
who don't know. It kinda works like a dating app for your Yeah. It is.
For matching. But the thing is sometimes you you get
those 3 matches in the day and you want more. And so you can
take it upon yourself to reach out. And then most people's Apple,
podcast is connected to their email. Yeah. Yeah. So
then you can connect that way. I literally I
(53:35):
was excited. That's something I will be doing I will be doing today. Yeah.
Definitely. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. But we've come to a point that
time has flown by. Yes. Because lately,
honestly, I've been keeping it keeping it short because I I've been keeping it for,
like, 35, 45 minutes, and we're
going towards an hour. But I love it. I love it
(53:56):
because when you when you're having some great conversation and you and the
and it's so much it's so much fun, and time just flies.
You don't even realize it. Absolutely. It's just it's those are the
best shows for me. I I love these shows where things
just they just flow so good. Yeah. And and
I will say, as much as I love talking about
(54:18):
myself, what I'll highlight is that you got to share a lot
about yourself this episode. What? Oh, that because of you,
though. That that's the that's the guest that's the host in you bringing that
out. Thank you. Yeah. But you gotta give yourself room to
shine. That's the message. Yes. You do. You do. You absolutely
do. Yeah. I have to. And like I said, that's why this year, I I
(54:41):
plan on being on more podcasts than I've ever been before because I I've
I need to put myself out there, and I've and I I've been
that's been that should have been something I when you asked what was something
for to yeah. That that is something that is gonna be worked
on and and definitely gonna make
things so much more fun because I get to talk more and and
(55:03):
not have so much work. Absolutely. But
then it grows the show. So you just keep you keep going forward and
you keep bringing a a important message and
important connections to new people. Definitely. Definitely. But now we've come to
this part of the show where you can get the solo layout and, plug it
away and let people know where they can find you. Well,
(55:26):
main place would be instagram at isa media inc, which you can see
here, on the screen. I,
also have a podcast. I have 2 actually. So if you like
interview style episodes like this, I have the thought leaders
podcast with Isabella Sanchez Casana, and that is
interviews with thought leaders in their respective industries. I
(55:48):
did 60 interviews in 60 days last summer, and so those
are being dripped out now. And I would just love
to connect with you, hear what you took away from this episode,
and just feel free to send me a DM again at eesamediainc on
Instagram.
Awesome. Awesome. I don't know if I'm following you on Instagram. I think I
(56:11):
I have to do that. I think I need to follow you. Please do. I
might I'm almost positive I am.
But if I'm not, I'll make sure that I am I'm almost
positive for him, though. Yeah. I wanna hear what, like, stuck out in
people's, minds. Yeah. People so
you hear people reach out to her. If you didn't follow on her,
(56:33):
follow her on Instagram, which I am now.
Nice. I didn't follow her on Instagram. But thank you so much. This
has been a a great episode. Don't leave just yet. Let
me just fill out the show, and we'll here. Okay. We'll chat a little
bit off there. But thank you so much for being such a great guest. Of
course. Thank you so much for having me. Alright,
(56:56):
everybody. Another episode is in the is in the books.
Shout out to everybody who stopped by and left a comment. Really appreciate it. Shadow,
thank you for listen for leaving a comment.
Cece, how you doing? Thank you for stopping by. Abdul
as well, and Mickey Delaney, thank you for for definitely stopping by and
showing some love. As always, big shout out to my RealWise fam,
(57:19):
Papi j, Brandi j, love you guys. Big shout out to the boss
lady. Love you and appreciate everything you do for for me and the
family. If you haven't subscribed,
please do hit the notification bell. If you catch
the replay, leave a comment. I'd greatly appreciate it. Reach
out to Isabella. She definitely wants to hear from you guys. And what did
(57:42):
y'all take from the episode? I I would like to know, so leave me a
comment as well. I would I would like to know what y'all took from the
episode. And as always, a big, big shout out to all the essential
workers out there. God bless y'all. Be safe. You know, your boy and wife,
does it? Peace out.
(58:28):
Thank
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