Episodes

123 Jeanette and Alex Ruiz | Veganism, Podcasting and Entrepreneurship as a Married Couple
April 10, 2017

123 Jeanette and Alex Ruiz | Veganism, Podcasting and Entrepreneurship as a Married Couple

In this episode I talk with the husband and wife duo behind Planted in Miami, a podcast about conscious living in the Magic City. We do a deep dive into their inspirations, why they transitioned to a plant-based diet and how podcasting made them take the leap to quit their 9-5 jobs. There are lots of laughs but also great insight into the entrepreneurial life and all it entails. 04:27 - How they learned to start podcasting 07:05 - Who influenced their podcast 08:56 - Podcast format (husband and wife) 09:33 - Planted in Miami origin 15:25 - What prompted their move to a plant-based diet 22:01 - Harry’s reason for turning vegetarian 24:56 - Jeanette’s audition on American Idol 28:49 - How they met 29:32 - Why they left their 9 to 5 jobs 33:29 - Their new business venture 34:47 - Alex’s advice for wannabe entrepreneurs 35:11 - The two things they spend their money on 38:50 - Katie Krimitsos Podfest presentation 39:40 - The importance of intellectual property 44:31 - Why having a support…
122 Chris Curran | How a Podcasting Engineer Has Made Meditation an Important Part of His Life
April 4, 2017

122 Chris Curran | How a Podcasting Engineer Has Made Meditation an Important Part of His Life

This week’s episode is an engaging discussion the host of The Podcast Engineering School. Originally from New Jersey, he now calls Colorado Springs home. Naturally the conversation starts off techy, and we understand how Chris got his engineering start. It’s a testament to his varied interests that end up on the subject of meditation! 03:00 - The value of the Podfest conference 04:45 - How Harry ended up at Podfest 06:00 - Chris’ experience with a podcast studio 08:00 - What Chris found in Alaska 10:30 - The struggles of keeping up with technology 12:10 - The beauty of a mobile existence 14:00 - The day the internet broke! 15:50 - The genesis of Chris interest in technology 17:30 - Why was there a need to bring engineering skills to podcasting? 23:00 - Recommended settings for an episode MP3? 27:00 - The challenges with Harry’s new podcasting course 29:00 - Partnering with companies doing interesting things in this space 32:00 - Daniel J. Lewis’ Podcasters Society Full Show Notes: h…
121 Fabienne Raphael | Why Personality is Important and How To Stand Out as a Host
March 15, 2017

121 Fabienne Raphael | Why Personality is Important and How To Stand Out as a Host

As host of Marketing to Crush Your Competitors, Fabienne has demonstrated the power of consistency, with over 250 episodes published to-date. Coming from a competitive background she understands the importance of striving to do your best but always in an ethical way. She understands clearly that podcasters need to remember that they are the owners of their show, and should always be directing the conversation. 02:45 - Quick chat with Soren Pederson, Product Specialist at Shure 07:07 - Thoughts on theming days 08:40 - Importance of a partner to hold you accountable 12:45 - Individuality with a business partner 15:10 - How Fabienne met Vernon Ross 16:25 - The genesis of the podcast 17:15 - The importance of leveraging influencers 20:00 - Return guests are Hall of Famers 22:00 - Fabienne’s competitive nature 27:00 - Don’t forget the listener 30:00 - Why your marketing always needs to be a part of your personality 31:00 - Why Andrew Warner inspires Fabienne 33:40 - Something Fabienne’s c…
120 Keith Tomasek | The Under-Appreciated Art of the Engaging Interview with Keith Tomasek
March 1, 2017

120 Keith Tomasek | The Under-Appreciated Art of the Engaging Interview with Keith Tomasek

Keith Tomasek is the host of The Inadequate Life and a professor at. He’s a great guy and super fan of the show, having worn the Podcast Junkies t-shirt on Day 1 of his podcasting class. He’s also a masterful interviewer and gives us some great insights in to how make your guest shine! He shares the challenges of living with Crohn’s Disease. A really insightful gem for podcasters. 11:15 - Keith’s family history and their t-shirt biz experience 13:20 - How did Keith’s podcasting class go? 16:00 - My experience teaching a class at General Assembly 19:30 - Podcasters’ obsession with landing a sponsor 24:00 - How best to position yourself to a sponsor 27:35 - Origins of The Inadequate Life podcast 29:35 - Tips on getting the most out of your show’s name and author field 32:10 - What drove Keith to start a podcast, and his connection to Marc Maron 35:00 - How the podcast grew a relationship with Chilina Kennedy 37:50 - Keith’s performing background 45:10 - How has Keith improved as a host…
119 Shawn and Richard | A Whole Lot More Than 2 Guys In A Basement
Feb. 13, 2017

119 Shawn and Richard | A Whole Lot More Than 2 Guys In A Basement

Richard and Shawn are the comedic hosts of The Language of Bromance, a podcast where they laugh about things they go through, stories in the news and even getting serious discussing issues like net neutrality. Every so often their friendship turns to a bitter reality with their nerdiest creation, the draft episodes, an original take on a “Best Of” or a “Top 10” list. In this episode, you will discover the nature of why they started the podcast, why they’re continuing and how it’s actually helped them forge a fantastic friendship. 09:03 - How did Shawn & Richard come up with the name of his podcast? 10:40 - Inspired by Kevin Smith of SMODCAST to do a podcast --which turned out to be a great way to catch up with your best friend 14:40 - “Audio voyeurism” at its finest 17:45 - From horror movies to D&D to podcasting: the origin of their friendship 24:20 - How their friendships have changed over the years 27:45 - Making it a priority of pruning friendships - only if you think it’s worth …
118 Gary Jenkins |Investigator of Organized Crime Tells All
Jan. 30, 2017

118 Gary Jenkins |Investigator of Organized Crime Tells All

Gary Jenkins is the host of the true crime podcast, Gangland Wire, which recounts his stories of true organized crime true as a Kansas City Police Detective. With twenty-five years on the police force, Gary has a lot of stories to tell! His enthusiasm for learning new technologies and passion for actively participating on these platforms enable him to genuinely connect with his listeners. Gary and I dive into some stories on the police force and we discuss the origins of the podcast. 08:35 – The podcast’s focus on the west side mafia and serial killers. 11:40 – How did Gary come up with the name of his podcast? 13:25 – The AHA moment when Gary realized through podcasting he could share his crime stories in an innovative way. 17:25 – His co-host, Aaron, is an interesting guy! 21:30 – A checkered past living in Kansas City didn’t stop Gary from getting a job as a cop. 24:45 – Bringing together your neighbors, thanks to crime and Facebook. 29:20 – An incident made Gary realize he didn’t…
117 Mike Murphy | Brand Yourself & Show Up for the Camera
Jan. 19, 2017

117 Mike Murphy | Brand Yourself & Show Up for the Camera

Mike Murphy is a one man band and the host of Mike Murphy Unplugged. He is a podcast helper, tutorial maker, and each of his podcast episodes follows a very specific theme or topic. Mike has been podcasting consistently for the last three years, but who is the man behind the mic? Find out on this week’s show! 03:15 - Why did Mike decide to podcast about podcasts? 04:55 - Mike talks about his recording gear! 09:25 - When you become a podcaster, consuming podcasts starts to decrease. 14:35 - Why did Mike decide to have a theme for every single one of his episodes? 16:40 - Mike knows his topics will begin to repeat soon, and he doesn’t know how he’ll deal with it just yet. 18:45 - What kind of feedback has Mike gotten from his listeners? 20:55 - Mike sometimes isn’t sure if what he’s saying is really resonating with his audience. 23:00 - Mike talks about his love for yoga. 27:30 - Mike started small, when it came to his social media presence, but now he has increased his exposure to oth…
116 Katie Krimitsos | Getting In Touch with Your Higher Self
Jan. 10, 2017

116 Katie Krimitsos | Getting In Touch with Your Higher Self

Katie Krimitsos is the ever-so-passionate host of Biz Women Rock! Katie and I talk about our spirituality, and putting the right energy out in the world. If that’s too much woo-woo, then bear with us. We do also dive into what really drives Katie, what to do when people have these ‘should’ expectations towards you and your business, and how to not get caught up in the competition. 05:50 - Where does Katie’s drive to help others come from? 07:55 - Did Katie have a mentor while she was in corporate America? 09:45 - What does family mean to Katie? 14:00 - Katie thanks her parents for winning at parenting. 16:30 - Birthdays are such a big deal for mothers. 20:15 - These days you can find me signing emails with hearts, and giving people good vibes! 22:30 - Be who you are. You attract the best people that way! 30:20 - This convo might be getting a bit too woo-woo! 33:35 - Katie is vegan...ish. 36:45 - Has Katie noticed her podcast changing, as she grows as a person? 41:25 - There are a lot…
115 Glenn the Geek | Owning the Horse Niche and Building Long-term Sponsor Relationships
Dec. 28, 2016

115 Glenn the Geek | Owning the Horse Niche and Building Long-term Sponsor Relationships

Glenn from ponies rolling in the water to educating podcasters on the powerful impact of building long-term relationships with sponsors, Glenn tells it like it is. He's adamant about why learning improv has been one of the keys to his success. Listen to why he decided the pickle wench at the Renaissance fair was going to be his wife, ideas about the next podcasting gold mine, and the Mongol Derby! 04:35 - Why Scooter is the world's most famous pony. 07:00 - Being around when iTunes got started 12:00 - Why the title sponsors re-signed up for next year's radiothon 12:35 - Where Glenn get's his drive to be first 14:00 - Why learning improv was one of the best things he's ever done 17:45 - Learning improv from Wayne Brady 18:15 - Meeting his wife at a Renaissance fair, a pickle wench 21:00 - Growing up with the Amish and black buggy Menonites 25:00 - A primer on riding styles 27:30 - Why the horse passion niche has been so successful 31:10 - What most people don't know about horses 35:20…
114 Rob Dionne | Don’t Overthink This Whole Podcasting Thing
Dec. 22, 2016

114 Rob Dionne | Don’t Overthink This Whole Podcasting Thing

Rob Dionne is the host of Open Sky Fitness, a podcast with an incredibly engaged community, who are all struggling with their weight loss journey. Rob shares tips on how he was able to really, really engage his audience, and why he decided to make a shift in his interviewing style, in order to present himself as the expert. 00:10 - This show is a bit overdue, because Rob and I were suppose to have this conversation after Podcast Movement 2015. 01:50 - Rob bought his first house two years ago. 05:30 - Where did the name, ‘Podcast Junkies,’ come from? 07:05 - Who inspired Rob to start his own podcast? 13:05 - It’s not a mystery trying to get people on your show. Just be open and ask them. 15:25 - How has Rob grown as a person, since he started his podcast? 18:05 - When Rob brought his wife onto the show, his download numbers doubled. 20:55 - Rob’s lead generation has completely changed, all because he created that podcast group. 24:10 - Rob hates it when the host on Facebook Live inter…
113 Davy Rothbart | The Hidden Stories Behind Forgotten Notes
Dec. 13, 2016

113 Davy Rothbart | The Hidden Stories Behind Forgotten Notes

Have you ever found a note on the ground that was maybe meant for somebody else? Davy is fascinated by the origins of these notes, and has since created a magazine, and then a podcast, on uncovering the true meaning and stories behind these forgotten notes. Find out why Davy has such a fascination towards the lost note, on this week’s podcast! 05:25 - How long has Davy been a writer? 07:55 - Are writers functioning alcoholics? 10:25 - People aren’t in podcasting to be millionaires. 11:05 - When did Davy first listen to podcasts? 18:25 - How did Davy distribute the magazine in the very early days? 20:15 - Were there any specific stories that really stood out to Davy? 25:05 - Davy asks me how I first got into podcasting. 34:40 - For the longest time, Davy was so curious as to who these people were that were writing these random stories and notes. 35:55 - As technology has evolved, you really have to be in a certain type of state to sit down and write a note. 40:45 - In the magazine, Da…
112 Natalie Jennings | Getting a Grant for Your Podcast
Nov. 29, 2016

112 Natalie Jennings | Getting a Grant for Your Podcast

Natalie Jennings is a photographer and the founder of A Face Project, which received a 2013 Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant of $10,000. Natalie discusses how aspiring podcasters can tap into their local community to get funding for their creative projects, where her love for podcasting stems from, and so much more, on this week’s episode! 03:50 - Natalie and I met at Podcast Movement. 05:40 - What did Natalie think of the talk I gave at Podcast Movement? 08:35 - Why did Natalie go to Podcast Movement? 10:50 - How does a photographer end up being a podcaster? 12:40 - Why does Natalie like Humans of New York? 16:15 - How did Natalie structure the format of her show? 20:00 - How did Natalie get a grant for her work? 28:50 - Natalie discusses the magazine she recently launched, which is an excellent companion to her photography and podcast. 35:15 - Natalie always feels slightly weird promoting her stuff. 40:35 - When it comes down to production, it’s all about storytel…
111 Ashley Taylor | The Importance of Surface vs. Depth
Nov. 24, 2016

111 Ashley Taylor | The Importance of Surface vs. Depth

After connecting via the Anchor application I was excited about the opportunity to connect with Ashley. She's been podcasting straight Monday through Sunday and as of this conversation has not missed a day, 180 plus episodes and counting. After going through the ups and downs of the online marketing world, she has now found her real voice and hit her stride. She's an open book and a genuine soul. 04:20 - How Ashley and Harry met 05:40 - Why 6 figures is bullshit 07:30 - Taking the 30-day podcast challenge 10:30 - There are thought leaders and "thought leaders" 15:15 - Overnight success does not just happen 17:35 - The importance of sharing the entire journey, good and bad 20:00 - How to handle requests you can easily Google! 22:30 - Where does this out-sized personality come from? 23:30 - Why she does a daily Facebook Live 24:20 - Ashley has always been a performer 26:30 - No one is going to give you permission 28:10 - Where she gets inspiration from. 29:30 - You don't have to tell p…
110 Christine Blackburn | Hollywood's Most Interesting Stories
Nov. 16, 2016

110 Christine Blackburn | Hollywood's Most Interesting Stories

Christine Blackburn is the host of Story Worthy, a podcast about true stories from Hollywood's most interesting talents and creatives. Christine has always taken her podcast seriously, and has recorded well over 300 episodes by now. Christine believes she doesn’t have any talents, but the stories she’s able to extract out of her fascinating guests say otherwise. Get a behind-the-scenes look at Christine’s creative process, and find out more about Christine! 03:20 - When did Christine decide to take her show seriously? 04:05 - Why are stories important to Christine? 06:40 - What kind of people did Christine like to interview when she was first starting out? 09:55 - When you’re first starting out, hold off on telling people about it. Allow yourself to learn from your mistakes first. 15:10 - How does Christine keep herself organized? 16:55 - There’s a very specific person who has a passion for podcasting. 19:00 - Don’t do things half-assed. You’re just wasting your time if you do. 23:20…
109 Nico Johnson | The Struggles of Getting Your Podcast off the Ground
Nov. 7, 2016

109 Nico Johnson | The Struggles of Getting Your Podcast off the Ground

Nico Johnson has over 10 years of experience in solar project development and PV sales. Nico is also the host of Sun Cast, a podcast about the solar industry in Latin America. Nico discusses some of his struggles on getting his podcast off the ground, and facing the high-expectations of his sponsors. He admits that when you’re so well connected in your industry, it’s the fear of success that holds you back; not the fear of failure. 04:15 - Be sure to visit the Green Door in Chicago. You will need a secret passcode in order to get in. 07:00 - Podcast Movement is the number one event to go to, as a podcaster. 13:20 - Why did my interview with Chase Reeves resonate so strongly with Nico? 19:45 - Nico spends a lot of time on production, which is why he only has 13 episodes released right now. 24:15 - As Podcast Junkie fans may know, I usually only invite podcasters who have at least 50 episodes under their belt. Why is Nico an exception? 29:15 - Nico’s wife made him write out a business …
108 Matt Marr | Coming to Terms with the Critic and the Muse
Oct. 24, 2016

108 Matt Marr | Coming to Terms with the Critic and the Muse

Matt Marr is the host of The Dear Mattie Show and the co-founder of Camp Brave Trails. With a Masters in Clinical Psychology, Matt discusses some interesting topics on this week’s show. Matt explains his two main driving forces -- the critic and the muse -- and how these two often contradict each other. He also discusses the five kinds of emotions he wants his audience to feel, and why that’s such an important piece to his brand. 02:50 - Both Matt and I will be at Podfest this year! 06:20 - I talk about the time I Interviewed Danny Peña, from Gamertag Radio, at the CBS studios. 07:15 - Matt was able to meet Aisha Tyler last year. 09:55 - Matt would ‘shit glitter’ if Aisha came on his show 10:15 - Matt asks me if I like Whiskey. 10:50 - How did Matt become one of the MCs at the PM Talks at Podcast Movement? 12:20 - Espree Devora has got her shit together, and it blew Matt away when he first met her. 19:20 - Matt used to volunteer for The Trevor Project, which is a suicide hotline for …
107 Jonathan Oakes | An Interactive Podcast About Trivia
Oct. 18, 2016

107 Jonathan Oakes | An Interactive Podcast About Trivia

Jonathan Oakes is the creator and one of the many hosts of The Trivial Warfare Podcast. Jonathan is a huge trivia buff and although there were several trivia podcasts out there at the time, none of them had the ‘feel’ of a real trivia game show. This is when Jonathan knew he struck on something and decided to start his own podcast. The Trivial Warfare Podcast has struck up quite the following and the shows ability to be so interactive is what keeps the fans engaged and coming back for more!
106 Karen Koppett | Climate Change and Amish Zombies
Oct. 11, 2016

106 Karen Koppett | Climate Change and Amish Zombies

Karen Koppett is the co-host of The Walking Dead Cast with Jason Cabassi. I've actually interviewed Jason a couple of episodes way back, so be sure to check out his interview right after Karen's! Karen is a water conservationist by trade and speaks to me about California's drought problem. She also notes that winters in Massachusetts is nothing like winters in California. However, the weather is not all that we talk about on this week's podcast. Tune in to hear from Karen about what it's like to get a podcast sponsored and to be starstruck by all the Walking Dead cast members!
105 Ellory Wells | If It's Meant To Be, It's Up To Me
Oct. 5, 2016

105 Ellory Wells | If It's Meant To Be, It's Up To Me

Ellory Wells is the host of The Empowered Podcast, where he interviews other entrepreneurs who have made the transition from unhappy employee to self-fulfilled employer. Ellory wanted to transition out of corporate America because he was unhappy from 9 AM to 6 PM and that unhappiness went home with him. Although he was successful at what he did, he needed something more out of life and his career. 04:45 - Ellory thinks I have fantastic hair. He had long hair in college. 06:45 - I eat the same breakfast everyday. 08:40 - Ellory really liked episode 100. 12:00 - All of the stuff that the cool kids were doing in school are irrelevant now that they've become adults. 13:10 - Ellory talks about being bullied in private school. 14:20 - People these days are proud to be a geek. 17:30 - Why did Ellory have the need to get his voice out there? 20:10 - Did Ellory have an inch to scratch? 21:40 - Why did Ellory grow from blogging to podcasting? 22:45 - Where did Ellory's entrepreneurial drive co…
104 Stephan Spencer | God Is Not a Belief, It's an Experience
Sept. 28, 2016

104 Stephan Spencer | God Is Not a Belief, It's an Experience

Stephan Spencer is a three-time author, runs two podcast shows — Optimized Geek and Marketing Speak — and is a frequent conference speaker on the topic of SEO. Stephan attends between 40-50 conferences a year and has gone through an amazing life transformation with the help of Tony Robbins. On this week's episode, Stephan shares the amazing story of how he met his fiance at a Tony Robbins event, his spiritual awakening in India, and the fascinating things he's learned about himself while taking Kabbalah classes.
103 Desmond Adams | Stories From an Old Man at the End of the Bar
Sept. 20, 2016

103 Desmond Adams | Stories From an Old Man at the End of the Bar

Desmond Adams is a student of life and the host of Mental Mastery Mondays, a podcast that explores and discusses everything from business, relationships, and mindset. Desmond and I kind of go all over the place on this week's Podcast Junkies. Desmond shares fun stories about his father, the old days of him being a magician, and whether there's spiritual significance to geometric shapes. 02:45 - How does Desmond know Jeff Brown? 06:00 - Desmond had a lot of stage fright when he was growing up. 07:00 - Desmond used to be a magician! 08:30 - Who were some of Desmond's favorite magicians? 11:50 - These days, if you want to learn magic, you go on YouTube. 15:10 - Desmond talks about bullying. 17:00 - How did Desmond get into podcasting? Was it Jeff's fault? 18:30 - What podcasts did Desmond get into when he was first discovering the space? 19:50 - Desmond didn't really like podcasts at first because it wasn't very polished the way it was in radio. 23:00 - What did Desmond learn from Randy…
102 Hernan Lopez | The Journey to Creating the Golden Age of Audio Drama
Sept. 8, 2016

102 Hernan Lopez | The Journey to Creating the Golden Age of Audio Drama

Hernan Lopez is the Founder & CEO at Wondery, an audio on-demand media network, curating podcasts that tell compelling and fascinating stories. It is Hernan's goal to create a new golden age for audio drama and he discusses how the podcast medium is perfect for this. Hernan has worked in traditional media for the last 19 years and was the former President & CEO of Fox International Channels. Hernan has a lot of wisdom to share on this episode, so listen in for more! 03:50 - Hernan has spent 19 years working in traditional media. 06:10 - It is expected in the podcasting industry that consumers will listen to a podcast from the beginning to the end. 07:00 - Why did Hernan get kicked out of highschool? 10:25 - How has the education Hernan received helped him later in life? 11:55 - Was it hard to transition from Argentina to the U.S.? 14:25 - The most important thing you should learn at home or in school is how to listen. 15:25 - When did podcasting pop up on Hernan's radar? 20:55 - Hern…
101 Mignon Fogarty | Celebrating 10 Years of Podcasting with Grammar Girl
Aug. 31, 2016

101 Mignon Fogarty | Celebrating 10 Years of Podcasting with Grammar Girl

Mignon Fogarty is the founder of Grammar Girl and the Quick and Dirty Tips Podcast Network, and teaches media entrepreneurship at the University of Nevada, Reno. On this episode, Mignon and I discuss some of the consequences of social media, The Elements of Style, and whether there's a right or wrong way to speaking the English language. Full Show Notes: http://podcastjunkies.com/mignon-fogarty-interview
100 A Conversation with Chase Reeves
July 26, 2016

100 A Conversation with Chase Reeves

What better way to celebrate episode 100 than to bring back Podcast Junkies guest #1, the inimitable Chase Reeves! http://www.podcastjunkies.com/100