A Contagious Smile Podcast
The Tapestry of Tenacity: Celebrating 200 Episodes of Podcast Wisdom, Motherly Courage, and the Unseen Bonds That Tie Us Together
When my mentor Dave Camber, the 'Yoda' to my fledgling podcast journey, decided to honor us with his presence on our 200th episode, we knew it was going to be an event of celebration and retrospection. Dave's guiding wisdom not only shaped the character of our show but also inspired the evolution of a heartfelt book that chronicles the trials and triumphs of a little girl named Faith. We're also lifting the curtain on Guardian Mitleidem, my latest heartfelt venture focused on supporting children in dire need, and spotlighting a delightful cooking show that brings the essence of father-son bonding to your ears.
The strength and tenacity of a mother's love never cease to amaze, and in this episode, we are sharing a story that will leave your heart both wrenched and warmed. This journey through a mother's unwavering determination in the face of her daughter's fight for life in the NICU, the occasional apathy from onlookers, and the small miracles that define our existence, will remind you of the power of resilience. The podcasting path is riddled with challenges and victories alike, and today, we're also sharing a treasure trove of tips and real-life experiences that illuminate the importance of community support and the joy of connecting with listeners.
Wrapping up, we get into the nuts and bolts of beginning a podcast with nothing but a smartphone and a dream. I'll walk you through the surprising simplicity of sharing your voice with the world and the unexpected friendships and support that can blossom from such ventures. Through a mix of lighthearted anecdotes and profound gratitude, we emphasize the beauty of community and the strength found in the genuine connections we make along the way. So come along and join Michael and myself as we share laughter, stories and the kind of gratitude that only comes from 200 episodes of shared experiences and the people who make it all worth it.
When my mentor Dave Camber, the 'Yoda' to my fledgling podcast journey, decided to honor us with his presence on our 200th episode, we knew it was going to be an event of celebration and retrospection. Dave's guiding wisdom not only shaped the character of our show but also inspired the evolution of a heartfelt book that chronicles the trials and triumphs of a little girl named Faith. We're also lifting the curtain on Guardian Mitleidem, my latest heartfelt venture focused on supporting children in dire need, and spotlighting a delightful cooking show that brings the essence of father-son bonding to your ears.
The strength and tenacity of a mother's love never cease to amaze, and in this episode, we are sharing a story that will leave your heart both wrenched and warmed. This journey through a mother's unwavering determination in the face of her daughter's fight for life in the NICU, the occasional apathy from onlookers, and the small miracles that define our existence, will remind you of the power of resilience. The podcasting path is riddled with challenges and victories alike, and today, we're also sharing a treasure trove of tips and real-life experiences that illuminate the importance of community support and the joy of connecting with listeners.
Wrapping up, we get into the nuts and bolts of beginning a podcast with nothing but a smartphone and a dream. I'll walk you through the surprising simplicity of sharing your voice with the world and the unexpected friendships and support that can blossom from such ventures. Through a mix of lighthearted anecdotes and profound gratitude, we emphasize the beauty of community and the strength found in the genuine connections we make along the way. So come along and join Michael and myself as we share laughter, stories and the kind of gratitude that only comes from 200 episodes of shared experiences and the people who make it all worth it.
hello everyone and welcome to another episode of a contagious smile unstoppable. We're doing unstoppable today because I have the one and only dave camber with me and I love yoda and he is my yoda and we are at our 200th episode. Surprise what? Yes, and I want to promote him. So I kind of did a little trickery thing and got him to come on, because this man's amazing and he does so much for so many people and I want to help him the way I can by telling everybody what this amazing individual does and how he can help you.
Speaker 3:So, hi, yoda well, the kindest person in the world says, hey, do you got time to jump on to record a podcast? You never hesitate. You say yes because, um, this amazing human that's leading this podcast and you're listening to it because you love her and so do I. She is the best person in the world and it's your first time here. You have a lot to catch up on a you got to go back and listen to everything, but this person has changed my life.
Speaker 3:I don't say that lightly, because if I ever feel like I can't do the next thing, I just go and check out, I can take a smile and go okay, I can do anything because, there's amazing people that come on this show and I feel I feel a little intimidated because the people that come on here are amazing, so I'm going to try my best to keep up with everyone, but if you're listening today, thank you for being here and I'm so thrilled to be here myself.
Speaker 1:And Dave got me started, so he is my Yoda. He is my Yoda. Technically, this is all my fault and I'm so thrilled to be here myself. And Dave got me started, so he is my Yoda. He is my Yoda.
Speaker 3:Technically, this is all my fault and I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:It is all you're doing. And he is so fond of Faith and Faith is so fond of him.
Speaker 3:She is the light, my superhero, as I call her yes.
Speaker 1:She is amazing. I'll give a little tip that, no, no one knows about. We're almost finished, not even michael knows. We're almost finished with we don't have a title yet um, a book about a beautiful little girl named faith who has some tummy problems and ends up going to the doctor, into the hospital for the first time and she has just this feeling of scaredness and nervousness and she has to get an IV for the first time and how she handles it and faith is just a rock star.
Speaker 3:Oh, 100%. Yeah, we've been cheering her on through the latest journey she's been on and we're still there with her. And again, if you haven't seen it, I'll speak on behalf of my great host here. If you haven't seen it, I'll speak on behalf of my great host here. If you haven't seen it, there has been a GoFundMe set up in the past, please support.
Speaker 3:But even if you don't use the GoFundMe link, you can always just send money. That's easy. So please do that. If you're found value in this podcast in the past and you haven't had a chance to donate, small amounts multiplied by many people make a big change, so do that and that's why I kind of brought him on here was because he does so many things for so many people and he teaches you how to podcast.
Speaker 1:he teaches you what to do, what not to do, how to do it these ins and outs and little secrets of any and everyone you know. I advised him, or told him, a few minutes ago that I'm now doing this Guardian Mitleidem thing because I have nothing to do and I have all this free time that I'm doing to help children that need a voice for themselves and they get taken from their homes and I get to talk with the judge and interview them and all this stuff. One. I really want this guy to come on and talk with you.
Speaker 1:One of my associates in the class is a dad. He's a single dad and he has a cooking show with his son and his son cooks with him and it is the cutest thing. They make all these things. So they're like we want to make dog treats, we want to do this, we want to do that so sweet. And I want to make dog treats, we want to do this, we want to do so sweet. And I was like, oh, first thing I thought is when he was telling me was, like how to be a dad, like he's got to come on with you, with dad, because yeah he, he's amazing and he's like you'll think he's hysterical and I watched he has a youtube channel uh, cookie or cooking k-o-o-k-i-n with kid troy and it is the cutest little thing watching.
Speaker 1:It's like I'm gonna stir the eggs, I'm gonna, I mean, and he's making a cake and he makes all these lovely things with his kid and it's something you don't see much anymore. So back on you, because you tried me. You have seven, or is there more? Now? Podcasts um well, technically eight okay so what are the eight, so we can find them all and support you.
Speaker 3:They make me name them all I am. I love it, okay? Well, I have to pull up my screen because I'm an old man I am all behind the scenes.
Speaker 3:If you're listening, dave is an old man. No, he's not. Uh, yes, well, I feel like it. Okay, here you go, are you? We're ready. And if you want to see them all and you're just like you want to skip this part, just go to truemediasolutionsca, cause I'm in Canada and you'll see all of these listed in case you don't have a pen and paper. But anyways, here we go.
Speaker 3:So they have the add to my playlist podcast, which is a music podcast. Been a musician for 45 years and I love talking music with anybody who loves music. So that's my add to my playlist podcast. I have Living my Side Hustle. So if you ever had a desire to do something above your nine to five and you want to be inspired by other people who have done great things, like the host of this show, living my Side Hustle is an amazing podcast.
Speaker 3:For that Upcycle Canada podcast, which was my first podcast with my gorgeous wife, jennifer, we do that podcast together and we save things from the landfill, keep them out of the landfill and recycle, repurpose, reuse all that stuff Upcycle Canada podcast. Then I jumped over to the Living, the Next Chapter podcast, which again the host of this show was on to talk about her journey as an author, faith, who is my heart and my soul. I was also on that podcast to talk about her book as well. So that's Living, the Next Chapter, my author show. I have the how-to podcast series, which helps teach people how to do this, what we're doing right now, and you're thinking I could never do that. I thought the same same and here we are, so you can do this, and we have a great community of podcasters that want to encourage you to move forward in your dream of sharing your voice.
Speaker 3:If you ever want to travel the world, grab a microphone and some headphones and off you go, you get to meet great people like the host of this show I also have dad space, which, uh, a wonderful gentleman named michael was on, who is amazing great he doesn't want a podcast I know, but we love him.
Speaker 3:Um, dad space podcast for dads, by dads. So if you know a dad, let him know. Dad space is out there. The daily santa podcast, which is a podcast that counts down to Christmas. Whether or not you believe in Santa is not the important part. It's the idea that we all want to be better humans as we count down 25 episodes in a row so that we can stay on Santa's good list because he's watching. So that's the Daily Santa Podcast. And then, lastly, my newest podcast is the podcast editing and support show, where I teach people how to edit podcasts, how to find an editor or how to become their own editor and turn it into a business. So there you go. That's them all. I'm going to take a drink because I'm out of my voice is done he has.
Speaker 1:Dave has like the most amazing ideas and suggestions and I thank him from the bottom of my heart because he turned me to where I am now, Like he gave me all these ideas and suggestions and I ran with them and we have a couple of followers on our podcast and it's all thanks to him and what he does and he gives classes and teaches you how to do a podcast. And in the beginning it seems so overwhelming, Like how am I ever going to do this? How am I going to find a niche? How do I find a good name? How do I find a good tagline?
Speaker 1:And once you get into it it becomes addicting because you really get to meet some of the most amazing people, like Yoda, as I call him. And you get to meet some of the most amazing people like Yoda, as I call him, and you get to learn so many amazing, wonderful things. And to know that you're helping even one person makes such a world of difference. It just makes the biggest difference in your day. I bet I get at least a dozen emails a week saying you helped me tremendously, the suggestions you gave me with my special needs child, or, if you can survive, I can survive as well from the domestic violence.
Speaker 1:It's just those messages there that make it worth what we do. And I mean, it doesn't matter if you have an audience of one or 10 million, it's the fact that you are helping somebody and that's all that matters. And paying it forward is such a gift to be given to so many people. And that's why I kind of apologies to Yoda, just kind of tricked him and said hey, I really need you to help me do a podcast, because he's asked me forever what can I do for you? What can I do for you? And I'm like I'm good, how can I help you? How can I help you? So I messaged him and said I need a favor I would have loved to seen his face and said I need you on a podcast. So I did that so that I could get him on here.
Speaker 3:So more people could really utilize the talent that this man carries. What I love about your show is watching when faith was in the hospital and seeing your community show up for you in the comments, in the love, and just seeing that come back to you and michael, in that moment, as you rare, you were raw and and live and sharing it in the moment and you guys, like I don't even know how you, how you did what you did really in those times, in those times, but to see the overwhelming response, financially and with the love and support of your community, to know that a podcast was a small portion of that to create the community that you have, and to know that you've gone far beyond what.
Speaker 3:I have been able to do.
Speaker 1:That makes me so excited. No, that's not fair.
Speaker 3:It's true, I feel like I'm walking along the side of the road and you just pass me in a Lamborghini because you're doing so well with your show. And you deserve all of the success that comes with it and all of the accolades.
Speaker 3:But I do shine the light back on you because you don't do it for that reason, but it it is happening for you and you're getting great traction on social media, you're getting getting great guests on your podcast, great interaction with superstars around the world. You deserve all good things and and you know I want you to I want to say thank you to your community for for their comments and love, as we all kind of followed Faith through the latest journey she's been on. I mean there's still more to come, but to that we took time to go, take a moment to donate or make a comment. Thank you on behalf of the family. I just so great to watch.
Speaker 1:Thank you. That was really hard. I mean, I've been through so much with her in the NICU and she coded in seizures every day to you know, saying, okay, let's put a tracheostomy in to literally. But then when the doctors say to you, we'll keep her comfortable and let nature take its course, I was like, listen, I haven't been to jail yet. This isn't the way to send me, like this is not going to happen. My daughter will get an apology for me for pissing her off because you're going to agitate her by keeping her here Like we're going to do whatever is necessary.
Speaker 1:And then they said her kidneys were shutting down. So immediately I'm like test me, take me across the street to the hospital, you take out my kidneys, you take out my liver, whatever you need, I'm donating, let's go. I was, you know, ready, willing and able. I told Michael, I said don't you dare move out of this room until I come back, I'll recover here. And then, by the grace of God, literally like we were on dialysis and multi-organ failure and chest tube because her lung collapsed, she, and pressors because she kept coding, like literally, her BUN and creatinine are back to normal now. I mean, she does have kidney disease, we don't know what stage yet. We have to wait a little bit longer to keep getting labs. But you know she does have a barbiac line in her heart still right now that we have here that we take care of.
Speaker 1:But and they swore up and down she wasn't going to make it like swearing up and down and I was like I don't ever want to hear this out of your mouth again, like do not say it to me. And then I had a doctor who didn't do some things the right way and I said listen, either you own up to what you did or watch. And I turned the computer around. I said I'm going live, I'm going to podcast live right now. I'm gonna hold you accountable. And you know that's what I threatened to do and it's it's I did. And Michael looks at me like okay, but that's what we do. But I mean when you care and love someone unconditionally.
Speaker 1:Like you know, my biological parents knew what happened and they never even reached out to see how she was doing. They knew she was told she was gonna die. No phone call, text, email, smoke signal, nothing. His mom, um, and his brothers did not reach out to him and I mean literally. I had people that were like oh, you're supposed to, you know, do a collaboration with me. Oh, you're not going to, I don't need you anymore. And walked out, like when I said on there, we're being told she's not going to make it. Through the night tonight I had a couple of people say oh, so you're not going to be here to help me with the collaboration we're supposed to do. Well, I don't have time for this. Okay, bye, bye, you know who? Who could do that?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't know anyone that could do that. Knowing that your child, or a child in general, is is trying not to die in a hospital bed, yeah, yeah, that's just what blows my mind. I don't, I can't wrap my head around that way.
Speaker 3:Some people think faith is a walking miracle she is. She's my greatest honor in life you don't need to look it up in the dictionary, just go meet you go.
Speaker 1:Well, one day I'm going to send you this little video because she asked me. You know they say right before you pass that they had the spark of life, if you will. And she was on a ventilator and she opened her eyes and she asked me to record a message for Michael and she was mouthing I love you, I love you, daddy, I love you. I'm sorry I'm leaving and it was the hardest thing I've ever watched. You hear me crying like a banshee in the background and I'm like you're not going anywhere. I live for you. You're not dying on me. And she doesn't remember doing it, she doesn't remember saying any of it. It's one of the hardest things you can ever watch and I ha, I have it. It was heart wrenching and to even see that for a minute. And then you think about people who let the tiniest little things bother them and people who just take things for granted minute by minute. It's such an eyeopening experience that you don't wish on anyone but I mean it really makes you put things into perspective.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So back to the perspective.
Speaker 1:How do you teach people how to? How does someone even begin starting a podcast?
Speaker 3:let's go back to your teaching me days well, all I can tell you is that the only person that can do your podcast is you. I can't do your show. There's no way I could do the In Contagious Smile podcast. There's no way. There's absolutely no way I could do what you do.
Speaker 1:Why not?
Speaker 3:Because you're you and there's only one of you.
Speaker 1:Thank God for that.
Speaker 3:We're all breathing a huge sigh of relief. No, it's because you're so special that your story and who you are, and everything that you and faith michael have been through, nobody can duplicate you. So when, when I hear people say, dave, I would love to start a show, but I feel like there's too many people who talk about what I talk about. I'm like there's only, you're only competing against yourself, right, it's like it's kind of like golf. Really you can play it with a group of people, but really you're keeping score against the last time you played.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:So that's how you know if you're a success or not is are you better than the last time.
Speaker 3:So you can start recording an episode and fumble your way through it on your own and try to do it by yourself and stay motivated. Or you can be a part of a community where other people are also just like you trying to start, and together in community you get support, you get love, encouragement, um, resources all that comes to you by just being in community, so you don't have to do this by yourself. So be unique, lean into what makes you you and be your authentic self on the microphone or on camera, so that people can connect with you.
Speaker 1:Because, again, how do you come? No one can do you. How do you come up with the name of your show?
Speaker 3:unfortunately, this is hard to explain because I'll wake up from a dead sleep with a complete podcast, name, idea, theme, everything about the show, even the website address, and I haven't even gotten out of bed yet and it's like quick, quick, write this down, come down to my computer, turn it on and, yep, the domain's available. Yep, no one else has used that name before. I'm like I don't know how this happens. Available yep, no one else has used that name before. I'm like I don't know how this happens and I don't take it lightly, but it's like you get a download of.
Speaker 3:You need to do this that's because you're yeah, and if you don't respond it'll go to someone else and they'll do it instead. So answer the call if you get that feeling like there's something I want to share with the world. That's why I have eight shows. I just there's something I want to share with the world. That's why I have eight shows. There's something I want to share with the world. And all of those eight shows have different audiences. They all have different websites, different social media pages, because I'm trying to reach eight different groups of people at the same time, which sounds like a lot of work and it is, but I enjoy every minute of it, because again.
Speaker 3:I can travel the world with a microphone and headphones and I have time in people's calendar. They would tell me to go away if I had walked up to them or sent them a phone, an email or call them to be like who are you and why are you bothering me? But the moment you have a podcast, you can have that expert on your show and you can use them to use your time with them to grow as a person and you can get better.
Speaker 3:So you don't have to be perfect to start a podcast, but you have to start a podcast to get better yes, how do you decide what topic if you want to start a podcast that you should talk upon?
Speaker 3:if you get into a social function and you start talking about something, everybody rolls their eyes and walks away there's your topic. Because you are just like so nerding out on whatever the topic is for me, podcasting. I go around talking to people that are like I don't even know what that is Right. Okay, so that's what we call, not our audience really. But then I get around people who love podcasting and they're like oh, tell me more, tell me more.
Speaker 3:So when you find your people, then that's where your content comes from from your community again.
Speaker 3:So what is that thing that you talk about? Or you could talk about for hours on end without even taking a break, and you just flows out of you that your topic, that's that's what you love, that's who you are, and for me, I differ on this whole notion of creating a podcast for a pretend person, or avatar as they call it because I'm making a, I'm taking a shot in the dark. I'm guessing you might be this person and you might fit into this category. Instead, I challenge that by saying I just make the podcast that I would listen to what is something I don't hear in the space, and I'm going to make it for me. I'm going to be completely selfish, make something that makes me happy and if you like it, you're probably going to like me at the end of the day because I'm doing something I love.
Speaker 2:And if one person listens right.
Speaker 3:One person listens. Great. I met one new friend. I'm happy with that. If a hundred thousand people find my show holy cow, there's a lot of people who are interested in what I like, and now I know my peeps.
Speaker 1:Right. So how does someone start? They can get a microphone, and then, when they record, what do they do with that first recording?
Speaker 3:you can just start with your phone. Okay, you don't need all this fancy gear that everybody tries to sell you in facebook groups, right, you don't need all that stuff. We have amazing phones with amazing microphones built right in. So if that's all you have, then start. If you're waiting to have the money to do what you see on YouTube, you're going to wait and you're going to give up because you don't have the money to do that or the time. But if you're walking your dog and you have a thought that comes to your mind, then just record it in the moment, grab your phone, pull it out, talk into your phone and your voice memo or whatever. That's all you need. That's the starting point. Just practice.
Speaker 1:Just start and then where do you launch it? For someone who has no idea how to begin this?
Speaker 3:Think of okay, so think of a library. The library has a whole bunch of books on the shelves and you go in there and you want a book about I don't know, cooking. You go to the cooking section and in the cooking section there's different other sections so you can go down to I want a cooking, a cookbook around barbecue. So now you're in the barbecue section of the cookbook section. So the authors write books about barbecue cooking and they put it in the library in that section. So you know where to find it, how to get it and how to get the content, how to get the book. You take it, you take it home with you. It's kind of the same idea for podcasting. We create the content, we give it to a library or a podcast host. They put it into categories that we help them decide and then our listener goes to those hosts and it gets distributed to all the apps.
Speaker 3:So audible, spotify, all those different places are coming to the library saying does anybody have a podcast about barbecue cooking? And they go to the section. They're like oh, victoria's got a podcast about barbecue cooking. Great, I need that for my app and I need a podcast about this, this, this, this and this and what else is new here in the library? Oh, we have a whole section of new articles and new episodes around these topics. Great, I'll take them all. They take them back to their app. We pull open our app and go I'm looking for a podcast about barbecue cooking. Oh, victoria's got an episode and a podcast about that. Follow, like, subscribe. I'm going to listen to everything that Victoria wants to say about barbecue cooking. That's it. So we work with a host, we create the content, we give it to our host, our host distributes it to all the places and we engage with the audience. That's it?
Speaker 1:How do you find those keywords that will help these people get their word out there? How do you find your keywords to put out there to bring awareness to your barbecue cooking?
Speaker 3:Go to Google and start typing how to barbecue chicken and see what happens. It's going to auto fill and give you a little bit more information and then down below on the page, it's also going to say people also ask or people also search, and it'll give you a list of topics. Those are people coming to a search engine like Google and asking a question. What you want to do as a podcaster in the early days of planning out what you want to talk about, is answer the questions people are already asking, instead of creating new questions and new answers and hoping you're talking to the community. Go there and look, just start typing how to podcast and then see what happens. It'll say with microphones and with video and with blah, blah, blah, and all these other topics are going to come out. Those are all things that people are asking for and what all Google wants to do if they were a person. They want to give the results to the person searching that they're asking for and they want to give good results, not junk results that leave people going. Well, that didn't help me. They want to be as helpful as possible. So you, as a podcaster, content creator, author, whatever you want to answer the question that people are asking. So I use those questions in the names of my episodes. I use those information and those keywords that you see on the screen in my podcast title, in my description, so that when people ask a question and it happened Kuba, who listens to my show in Warsaw Poland, went to Google and typed in how to podcast Guess, who showed up you right In Warsaw Poland, and he listened to a hundred episodes of my show.
Speaker 3:He went to my website, which I mentioned. Every episode went on. My calendar made a time slot where we got together. So I talked to Kuba. Kuba comes on and he says, dave, I love your show, giving me so much value. I want to give you something. And I thought, oh, he's going to give me advice, right, good or bad. I'm like, oh, no what did I?
Speaker 3:do right, no, but he's like no, um, he's a day. What camera are you using? And at the time I was using like a $20 camera from amazon right up here. He's like dave, I want to buy you a new camera. Stop, he said I want to buy you a hundred and fifty dollar camera so you can do what you do, because you gave me so much value this guy's in Warsaw. Poland which I have never been to right Canada right the camera I'm using today.
Speaker 1:He bought me that's my website and well-deserved right.
Speaker 3:so, kuba, thank you, but that what I mean, that's the kind of connection you can have with people by showing up, answering the questions that people have on Google, for example, creating great content, the best of your ability and getting better every time, and just showing up. That's the biggest thing.
Speaker 1:How do you find guests?
Speaker 3:Very hard. When you first start a podcast, when it's all interview based, because you don't have any, you have no community, you have no episodes, no listeners, you're like, oh, this is hard. So what I did for my author podcast Living, the Next Chapter. I reached out to an author that I admire. I have all of his books, I've listened to all of his episodes where he guessed it on other shows. I love this author. I reached out to him and I asked him to come on my show and that dreaded question came up that all new podcasters here, how many listeners do you have? Tell me your stats, and I'm like-.
Speaker 1:How many episodes have you released?
Speaker 3:Yes, I'm like I had two episodes and they were solo episodes on an interview based podcast, so I don't even have a guest yet.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 3:I'm like I told them honestly I'm brand new, I've got probably 20 listeners total on two episodes. I'm not embarrassed by that, but 20 people decided to listen to my show instead of a billion other things to do. So I'm like I'm not going to talk that down. But I said to him I don't have a lot of listenership at this point. You'll be one of my first guests.
Speaker 3:But what I can tell you is I listened to you on another podcast and when the host was having you on their show, the host took a phone call Middle of your answer to their question. You're talking on their show as a guest on their podcast. The host took a phone call on his cell phone during the podcast. You stopped talking and all we could hear was the one side of the host talking into his phone to like his gardener or something, what right. And then, when the host was done with his private phone call during the taping of his episode, the host hung up the phone and said it would just jump to the next question, didn't even let the guest finish and didn't even acknowledge what they had said because they were distracted by their phone going off and answering a phone call.
Speaker 3:So I said to the guest that was on that show. I said I haven't had anybody on my show. You You'd probably be my first guest, but what I can tell you is based on the podcast. I heard you on this podcast and I named it. I want to apologize to you on behalf of podcasters. That was a horrible experience and that will never happen on my show. And he looked at me and says I don't care about your numbers, send me your calendar link, I'll come on your show.
Speaker 1:Why that's amazing. That's why you're Yoda.
Speaker 3:See.
Speaker 1:See.
Speaker 3:Do your homework Awesome. And then, once you find one, you can add a leverage, the next one, which will leverage the next one. And then all I do for my author podcast is, if I'm stuck, I'll post in Facebook groups or I'll go to Amazon and look at the new book releases. All of those authors have one thing in common they want to talk about their books. They want to sell books. So the unauthor podcast is probably one of the easiest podcasts for an interview-based podcast to start, because you have new books every five seconds on.
Speaker 3:Amazon, so you have a sea of guests that want to come on your show. It just takes some work and once it gets started right now I'm doing three episodes a week and then, over just over two years, I have 350 episodes for that show- that's crazy, crazy.
Speaker 1:So you teach classes on this and I've attended them and they are phenomenal and I mean that wholeheartedly, like they are absolutely amazing. I don't want you to give them away, like all the information within it, but kind of give an overview of what people can expect if they get in these classes anyone who's just starting out or has started and has a lot of questions because there are so many elements into podcasting and to be able to get it out there. I mean I started with like five listeners and then Look at you now.
Speaker 1:Bing at me.
Speaker 3:Look at you now. That's what I'm laughing at. Look at you now. Look at me now what You're doing so amazing with your show. Five listeners when you started. Come on.
Speaker 1:Well, now what you're doing so amazing with your show five listeners when you started come on. Well, we have three shows right and we had like five downloads on the first and I was like ecstatic and then it just went from there.
Speaker 1:but, yeah, how can people get to you? What do they expect when they come into your class? First of all, as someone who is doing classes this is not podcasting classes you are not boring when you're teaching. You are so alive and it is so nice. And it's such a nice change that when you're in a class on something you want to learn about, you have someone engaged in the conversation. You have someone who is fully knowledgeable in the conversation. You have someone who really cares about your success, which is very hard to find and they get all those boxes checked with you.
Speaker 1:So coming into your courses, what can someone expect and how do we find you so that people can start taking your classes?
Speaker 3:I love it. Okay, so let's start with the origin of why I started my how to Podcast series because there's a million podcasts about podcasting and I get frustrated when I hear a podcast about podcasting say, for example, that men are better at technology than women. Right, I don't listen to that show anymore because that is complete junk and that is what they would teach.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:So that's horrible. So I'm like, okay, well, that's something that we need to talk about, because I know women in technology that would make my head spin. I have no idea what word they just said. I have to go Google that. I have no idea what you just said. You are like a bazillion years away from where I am, so that is that's. That's one thing that I've heard. I've heard people who make fun of other podcasters because they're not doing it right. You know the purple background you have. Victoria is terrible. You should never do that. You shouldn't be a podcaster. Stop it.
Speaker 3:And you're like oh, I guess I'll stop podcasting, cause I didn't do it Right. Right, like who? Who has the authority to make fun of somebody for trying?
Speaker 1:someone who's intimidated by their success.
Speaker 3:Right, or somebody just crank, I don't know. I don't understand that. So the reason I started my show was I compare it to american idol versus the voice. American idol you have people, both singing competitions, both tv shows. American idol you have people come on.
Speaker 3:Some aren't ready for prime time, some definitely are being thrust onto the stage and we all know they're not going to move forward. But when they make a spectacle of people who are not ready, when they, as judges, as they call themselves on the show, say things like you should never do this again, you're embarrassing yourself. Don't ever do this. Get off the stage. Awful, you're terrible. Right. And they laugh at them, they snicker at them, you can see them and it's. It's the most horrid feeling I've ever had to watch somebody belittle somebody on television. I don't understand why people enjoy that so much. Then you switch over to the voice, which I much more prefer, because you have judges who have their backs to you. They don't see you. The first thing they experience is your voice. They have no preconceived ideas about who you are. As you walk to the stage, they don't make a judgment of you before you open your mouth.
Speaker 1:Based on appearance.
Speaker 3:It's all about your voice. It's not about your presentation.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:And if they want you on their team, they turn their chair and even if they, no one selects you. And again those. These are called coaches on the voice. They're not called judges. Key thing, right as coaches. If they don't, none of them turn their chair. They all turn their chair at the end of your time on stage. They give you constructive ways that you can get better in your craft. Yeah, and they invite you back.
Speaker 1:Look who came in here. Tell Michael who you said you were going to be for me, hi there.
Speaker 3:Hey, buddy, this is my most favorite person. You actually look like your picture behind you, which is like so cool the same hat, the same shirt.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:Wow, come on. I'm here with my pod wife having a great little conversation about you.
Speaker 2:Where? Where's your wife? Pod wife, my pod wife where's your wife, my pod wife? Right beside you.
Speaker 1:This is the one, and only my wife no, he said, if you stop podcasting he will be my pod husband no, yes he did.
Speaker 2:She is bonded to me and holy matrimony my name's first 100 your mind, 100 pay for 100.
Speaker 1:I love a smile, hi, michael but he offered to be my pod husband, since you don't want to podcast with me anymore and he said why he's great and I said he doesn't think so, and so he said he would be my pod husband, since you don't want to podcast with me anymore. And he said why he's great? And I said he doesn't think so, and so he said he would be my pod husband. Okay, I want alimony.
Speaker 3:I am on team michael, just so you know I love this guy. No, because he's amazing. He does a lot, he's a great husband, a great father, he does it all right and he looks spiffy, so he's got it all covered.
Speaker 1:Michael.
Speaker 3:Yes, but we can share I had you first.
Speaker 1:He's my hot husband now because you don't want to do this with me. I didn't even offer it. He offered it. He said he would do it.
Speaker 2:So how you been buddy.
Speaker 3:I'm good.
Speaker 1:We're trying to talk about all of the wonderful things that he does and how people could take his classes and where to find him and all the amazing information that he gives. Yes, because he's amazing.
Speaker 3:And she tricked me into this.
Speaker 1:I did Because I've asked for weeks for my husband to podcast with me and it's no, no, no, I'm no good at this, I'm not doing it yet. Yeah, I got a blah, blah, blah. So Dave always says what can I do? Please, give me something I can do for you, please. And so I messaged him. I said I need a favor. I'm sure he went home and I was like teach them how to podcast. Dave is awesome y'all.
Speaker 2:We went from zero to nothing and skyrocketed. I was there when he dispersed those nuggets out. It was awesome.
Speaker 1:Did you still want to be on this team?
Speaker 3:I like this guy, you like him.
Speaker 1:I love him. I'm just saying he would be american idol and I would be the voice oh wow, I don't know what that is. It's an inside joke between okay, my podcast husband is that because you dated ryan seacrest date? Ryan seacrest oh ryan seacrest this just in everyone I didn't date ryan seacrest. I never went on a date with ryan seacrest. This just in everyone. I didn't date Brian Seacrest. I never went on a date with Brian Seacrest. You're putting out false information.
Speaker 2:Your audience is waiting for the explanation.
Speaker 1:I knew him and was friends with him in high school.
Speaker 3:Wait a minute.
Speaker 1:What.
Speaker 3:What.
Speaker 1:Yes, I also went to school. I sang with Usher and Candy Burrows.
Speaker 3:Wait a minute, what? Yeah, I sang with usher and candy burrows.
Speaker 1:We went to wait a minute. What? Yeah, I sang with usher and candy burrows and chorus and all stay, all stay, chorus. But I was friends with ryan and I was like the one person who didn't care. He was a dj at 17 and I was friends with him. I never wanted anything but friendship from him. I was not his type. I never had an interest in him in that way and we lost all connection of friendship after and I will not say anything bad about him because I don't do that, believe it or not when I asked him to come meet Faith in the NICU and he was too big because of Idol and he would get recognized and whatever. So I have not seen or talked to him in like 18 years or 17 years or whatever it is. We've never dated. We never kissed. He hugged me but that was it. Nothing ever happened. Don't put rumors out that I dated ryan secrets, because that was not the case ever.
Speaker 3:Holy cow, this is the best podcast I've ever been on Ever.
Speaker 1:Now let me tell you, usher was probably the sweetest, widest, shyest guy you could ever imagine, but the voice on him was unheard of. He was amazing. But the voice on him was unheard of. He was amazing. Like you had this quiet kid who was just shy and timid and would come in there and warm up and do all these vibrato things and then all of a sudden he was a powerhouse and then he'd walk out and just be like shy and timid again but he was just sweetest, sweetest guy ever, so nice. I'm so happy he got all the fame he has, because he deserves every ounce of it.
Speaker 3:And now look who's sitting beside you.
Speaker 1:My husband.
Speaker 3:The one and only.
Speaker 1:I know.
Speaker 2:I know your standards have really dropped.
Speaker 3:You're so lucky.
Speaker 2:I'm so lucky. It's beautiful you are.
Speaker 1:I have never dated anyone famous other than you.
Speaker 2:You're infamous too so are we at the tail end of this recording session? We are pretty close to the tail end.
Speaker 1:He's about to tell us what to expect in his classes and you interrupted American Idol. See what happens when you face to face.
Speaker 3:Right American. Idol I know, there you go.
Speaker 1:So what do we expect when we come into your classes, besides extreme success?
Speaker 3:What you will get is no judgment, as we talked about American Idol, where they judge you the voice, where they coach you no judgment, anything works. We're not here to sell you a microphone. We're not here to sell you a program. We're here to get your voice out there and, just like you guys have done, take your message and help people right and then see the community come around you when, like we said when Faith was in the hospital, to see those comments from your community, that's life, when your whole world is crashing. To have somebody leave you a comment or a heart or a, or donate to your goal funding that is. That is life, when everything's crashing around you and to know that a starting a podcast was the thing that kept you going. I lost my mom in December of last year and I sat in the hospital with her. She was completely on life support, non-responsive, just me and her. And I'm reading comments from people around the world sending their love and prayers to us, their kind thoughts and thinking, wow, what a privilege to be able to have contacts with these kinds of people right, and that they would not only listen to our show and listen to our content or watch what we do, but then reach out and tell us that they're thinking about us. That is the best part of podcasting. So, as I tell anyone, if you're, if you're nervous about starting a show, start. Don't worry about being perfect, just get going. And then what I find that is that whole law right. Whatever stays stationary usually stays stationary. Things that are in motion tend to stay in motion.
Speaker 3:As a podcaster, just start recording, start the ball going, start moving and you'll find you're going to get better. You're going to have more. It's going to become easier over time. You're going to get the guests for your show. You're going to be more confident. Your podcasts are going to get better every time. And don't worry about the early episodes. You're learning and, as a community member, we come and we want to support you because you're doing something that we, as listeners, without a podcast, have no idea what you're doing. So we're here to support you and love you and be there for you. So we're following your journey. So let us support you, let us be there as community members while you start your show. Don't worry about being perfect, just start. That's the biggest thing.
Speaker 1:And you know there's more subscriptions to podcast than there are subscriptions to netflix. Now, yeah, yeah. So what advice do you give my husband here, who refuses to podcast with his wife anymore?
Speaker 3:bring her lots of flowers for all the great things she thing she does.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's a very tall list he forgot my valentine's.
Speaker 1:Not even get it. Please go to team victoria on this one what do you get a diamond? I don't like diamonds. You aren't the diamond.
Speaker 2:I don't like diamonds she has probably close to 300 certificates, degrees, three doctorates I know, and. And how many books. Eight now, well, nine. How do you get?
Speaker 1:how do you get celebrate the successes? I'm like, what do I have to do to get you excited with something I've done?
Speaker 2:you've set the bar so high. Woman. How do I get more happy and joyous over another doctor?
Speaker 3:to show that you're excited when I produced this stuff I do, I say yay, that's what I get so, victoria, as a casual listener I'm not a licensed therapist by any means, but I think he's celebrating you right now yeah, I don't think so I put this woman on a pedestal everywhere.
Speaker 2:Yeah, everywhere.
Speaker 3:A lot of people do A lot of people do.
Speaker 2:Thank you, yoga. I'm not done with him yet.
Speaker 1:Where does everybody find you so they can start taking your classes? If you want to hear it out, you want to hear Michael.
Speaker 3:Okay, you want to hear about how to podcast? Go to how to podcast dot ca. How's that for a website? How to podcast dot ca, because I'm in canada, right I'm moving ca how to podcastca and uh, if you want to see all the other shows, true media solutions dot ca again because I'm in canada and if you want to support a great podcast, support this podcast.
Speaker 3:Make sure you like, share, follow, do all the things and tell somebody about this amazing podcast, because you're not going to find anyone smarter, more talented, more caring, giving than the host of this show. So please support and continue to show up and do your best for these people.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Can people hire you to help them if they really want to see such great success?
Speaker 3:100%. I would love to work with anybody. Always have free time in my calendar to get together and talk. You just want to talk for half an hour? It's always there on my website, howtopodcastca.
Speaker 1:And he is as genuine as they get. He really is. I mean, he was like a diamond in the rough for me when I met him, because I was so nervous and he took his time with me and he's like you're going to be great. And I'm like, no, I don't know why I'm even thinking of doing this and he literally pushed me through. And now we're here, all this later, and he is still as amazing, if not more so, than he ever was. Yeah, I'm talking about you, not anybody.
Speaker 3:Thank you, and thank you for tricking me to show up today.
Speaker 1:It's only out of love.
Speaker 3:I know.
Speaker 1:Because I want to support you any way I can. I know.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Of course, of course, hey Duke, where's Duke?
Speaker 3:He's upstairs sleeping.
Speaker 1:Okay, I know you need to go get some rest, so I just want to thank you. I'm going to make sure everybody can find you any and every which way possible when I put this out, and I hope you won't be a stranger and we can talk more often. And if I can do anything for you, I mean it. You better let me know, because I don't like tricking you.
Speaker 3:You're good at it, but thank you.
Speaker 1:But it's only with the best intentions that I do it.
Speaker 3:When you get that text from Victoria and it says hey, I need some help, be very careful because you might end up on a podcast, just so you know.
Speaker 1:It could be worse. It could be a lot worse.
Speaker 3:Give faith. A big hug for me, okay.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely. We will talk soon, thank you.