Podcast Junkies - Conversations with Fascinating Podcasters

Harry welcomes to the show, educator, author and podcast consultant, Joe Casabona. Joe is the host of How I Built It, a podcast that provides insight from tech savvy small business owners and developers on how they built their products, from idea to execution.In this episode, Harry and Joe talk about Joe’s circuitous route to entrepreneurship, from a stint teaching at the collegiate level to eventually reaching self-employment and launching his own podcasting company. Joe opens up about his prior role at an agency and the decision to leave to pursue his passion. He shares lessons he’s learned throughout the years, including why curiosity is a major key success factor in life. Finally, Joe shares something he’s changed his mind about recently and speaks to why his inquisitive nature has made him a naturally gifted podcast host. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! Focusrite | FullCast KEY TAKEAWAYS 06:35 – Harry welcomes back to the show Joe Casabona, who speaks to the inspiration to start his podcast, How I Built It11:45 – Joe’s Tech journey14:11 – Structuring a podcast22:50 – Joe’s experience teaching at the collegiate level32:28 – Joe’s entrepreneurial journey and what he learned working for an agency45:33 – Joe and Harry talk about their shared love of the New York Yankees50:31 – Lessons Joe learned throughout his journey of self-employment and running his own business57:30 – Joe’s growth as a podcast host59:09 – Something Joe has changed his mind about recently1:05:46 – Harry thanks Joe for joining the show and let’s listeners know where they can connect with him TWEETABLE QUOTES “Free customers are the meanest because they have the highest expectations and the most entitlement.” (16:51) (Joe)“I joke that if computers didn’t exist I would be completely unemployable.” (23:33) (Joe)“People think, ‘Oh, I’m not gonna say anything because things aren’t going to change.’ Well things definitely won’t change if you don’t say anything.” (42:38) (Joe)“When my daughter asks me a question I try so hard, no matter how I’m feeling, to tell myself to not crush her curiosity.” (45:56) (Joe)“I’ve always been inquisitive. I think that’s what made me a good host in the beginning is that I asked a lot of questions. I’m a lot more confident to deviate from the format, so I’m experimenting a lot more now.” (57:41) (Joe) RESOURCES MENTIONED FullCast WebsitePodcast Junkies Junkies Facebook GroupLink to Podfest Expo Virtual SummitJoe’s LinkedInJoe’s Podcast WebsiteJoe’s WebsiteJoe’s TwitterJoe’s InstagramJoe’s GitHubJoe’s YouTube ChannelJoe’s Podcast  Books Mentioned: Soundtracks  Podcasts Mentioned: The Pen AddictUpgradeConnectedSerial🎙️🎙️🎙️Podcast Production and Marketing provided by FullCast

Harry welcomes to the show, executive producer and podcast host, Jen Briney. Jen is the host of the Congressional Dish Podcast, a twice-monthly show that aims to draw attention to where the American people truly have power: Congress. From the perspective of a fed up taxpayer with no allegiance to any political party, Jen fills her listeners in on the must-know information about what our representatives do AFTER the elections and how their actions can and will affect our day to day lives.In this episode, Harry and Jen talk about the genesis of Jen’s Congressional Dish podcast and why it’s focused more on government than politics. Have you ever wondered why we focus more on the Presidency than Congress, the branch of government that writes, debates and passes the bills that become laws that impact our daily lives? Jen talks about crypto, the political awakening that is happening in our society today and the power of being informed. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! Focusrite | FullCast KEY TAKEAWAYS 06:36 – Harry welcomes back to the show Jen Briney, who shares her thoughts on COVID-19 and the state of the podcast industry19:29 – A podcast about government, not politics22:06 – Jen talks about her appearance on the Bad Faith Podcast and how it grew her own audience34:35 – Cryptocurrency and podcast conferences47:46 – How the fallout from January 6th has the potential to impact our personal lives56:02 – The power you get from being informed59:06 – Why hope is on the horizon and the awakening that is happening in American society1:07:42 – Plans on expanding Congressional Dish1:18:02 – Jen talks about her second podcast1:15:26 – Harry thanks Jen for joining the show and let’s listeners know where they can connect with her TWEETABLE QUOTES “The show kept going and I say that my biggest victory during the Trump years is that I didn’t quit.” (20:55) (Jen)“I have no allegiance to the political parties. I have no ideology. I can agree with people all over the political spectrum because I think it’s all a lie. I can find common ground with just about any American on something and yet we’re told we’re the most polarized we’ve ever been. I approach this podcast as I want to know what’s being done with my money and in my name. It’s that simple.” (27:09) (Jen)“I’m amazed that I’m a professional podcaster. It was one of those things where the podcast was a way for me to talk about government. I love reading about the bills and laws. What I don’t love is the tech and figuring out where the microphone goes.” (38:35) (Jen)“When I look at January 6th , I’m looking at the bills they’re writing because of it, which are going to expand spying powers and give more power to the FBI and give more money to the Capitol police.” (48:35) (Jen)“I want to be informed about what’s really going on in the world. I want to know because I feel like there’s a lot of power in that. It’s helped me financially. It’s helped me make decisions about what I want to do with my life.” (56:02) (Jen)“There’s an awareness now in our population that we are being systematically lied to by these two parties.” (1:00:02) (Jen) RESOURCES MENTIONED FullCast WebsitePodcast Junkies Junkies Facebook GroupLink to Podfest Expo Virtual SummitJen’s LinkedInJen’s WebsiteJen’s TwitterJen’s InstagramJen’s Patreon PageCongressional Dish Facebook  Jen’s Podcasts: Congressional Dish Podcast Talking Fat Podcasts Mentioned: Bad FaithPodcasting2.0Podnews🎙️🎙️🎙️Podcast Production and Marketing provided by FullCast

Harry welcomes to the show, professional podcast producer, editor and host, Jason DeFillippo. Jason is the co-host of Grumpy Old Geeks, a no-holds-barred show about the Internet and how it's affecting our lives for good or bad. Since 1994, Jason’s launched hundreds of websites as either a programmer, designer or founder. Almost eight years ago, he pivoted from programming to full time podcast producer, editor, and host.In this episode, Harry and Jason geek out over the podcast industry, how far they’ve both come as professional podcasters and what the future holds for the medium. Jason opens up about his journey as a podcaster, specifically how he’s honed his hosting skills and what inspired him to start Grumpy Old Geeks. He speaks to the work he did on the Art of Charm, the impact COVID- 19 had on podcast downloads and his feelings on dynamic ads and monetization. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! Focusrite | FullCast KEY TAKEAWAYS 06:35 – Harry welcomes to the show Jason DeFillippo, who shares his podcast origin story and the impact Tim Ferriss had on his career17:15 – Jason’s love of technology and the wave of new technology that has emerged22:25 – The inspiration to start Grumpy Old Geeks and how Jason honed his hosting and producing skills29:04 – The Art of Charm and what Jason learned about himself throughout his podcasting career35:47 – The impact COVID-19 had on podcast downloads and monetization43:05 – Why Jason continues to put out episodes of Grumpy Old Geeks48:01 – The most misunderstood thing about Jason and something he has changed his mind about recently51:20 – Jason’s issue with dynamic ads55:41 – Harry thanks Jason for joining the show and let’s listeners know where they can connect with him TWEETABLE QUOTES “You can’t do a retake on a Live show. You gotta roll with it, keep the audience engaged and still make a decent show in the end.” (12:58) (Jason)“Back then it was just get on the mic and try. And then over time, my hosting skills got better and better and better. And now, you put me in front of a microphone I can talk for days. But back then it was a stretch just to even look at the microphone and talk.” (23:59) (Jason)“Compound questions are terrible when you’re a podcast host. Always remember that!” (27:16) (Jason)“I hate going to an office. As you can see, I’m in my home right now and I’m never leaving. I did the corporate life for a long time and I never want to do it again.” (35:47) (Jason) RESOURCES MENTIONED FullCast WebsitePodcast Junkies Junkies Facebook GroupLink to Podfest Expo Virtual SummitJason’s LinkedInJason’s WebsiteJason’s Twitter Jason’s Podcast: Grumpy Old Geeks Podcast 🎙️🎙️🎙️Podcast Production and Marketing provided by FullCast

Harry welcomes to the show Agnes Kozera, SVP and co-head of PodCorn, the largest podcast platform, connecting podcasters with advertisers for native sponsorships. Agnes is passionate about building tools that empower and support the growth of brands and content creators across different mediums.In this episode, Harry and Agnes talk about the traits and characteristics that make successful entrepreneurs and why immigrants tend to have a strong work ethic that aligns well with entrepreneurship. Agnes speaks to her passion for content creation and what inspired her to launch Podcorn. She reflects on the journey from start-up to being acquired by Google and the challenges and opportunities that arose from the acquisition. Finally, Agnes talks about why she identifies herself as a champion for content creators everywhere. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! Focusrite | FullCast KEY TAKEAWAYS 06:36 – Harry welcomes to the show Agnes Kozera, who speaks to her entrepreneurial origin story and the work she’s doing at Podcorn14:15 – Traits and characteristics of a great entrepreneur16:19 – The work ethic of immigrants and entrepreneurship19:16 – Early inspirations and mentors that helped Agnes21:56 – Lessons learned and mistakes made in building a successful business25:21 – What it was like to be acquired by Google and the shift in mindset from founder to employee29:25 – The origin story of Podcorn37:10 – Trends Agnes has observed in the content creation space44:35 – A champion for content creators46:06 – How Agnes would describe the marketplace she’s created52:38 – Self-help podcasts that Agnes would recommend53:18 – Something Agnes has changed her mind about recently and the most misunderstood thing about her58:16 – Harry thanks Agnes for joining the show and let’s listeners know where they can connect with her TWEETABLE QUOTES “You have to be a little nutty. I think you have to have self-belief, more so than everyone else, and not get discouraged. But you also have to take criticism and you have to be open to it. You have to take feedback and know when to stop.” (13:57) (Agnes)“I like to think of it as jumping out of a plane and then building your parachute on the way down. But that’s kinda really what entrepreneurship is. You just figure it out. You think outside the box. You try a lot of things and try again.” (19:01) (Agnes)“Also, I think we’re in a time where a lot of brands now understand the value of influencer marketing. They understand the power of creators.” (33:31) (Agnes)“I definitely think I am very much a champion for creators. Even in the company I really bucket myself to be more on the creator side. I love the creator space. I believe in the power of the right match and what it can do.” (44:53) (Agnes) RESOURCES MENTIONED FullCast WebsitePodcast Junkies Junkies Facebook GroupLink to Podfest Expo Virtual SummitAgnes’ LinkedInAgnes’ EmailPodcorn Twitter Podcorn Website Podcasts Mentioned: Jay ShettyThe Happiness PodcastIn the DarkSword & ScaleHow I Built This🎙️🎙️🎙️Podcast Production and Marketing provided by FullCast

Harry welcomes to the show, entrepreneur, podcaster and proponent of social impact and sustainability, Corinna Bellizzi. Corinna is the host of Care More Be Better: A Social Impact + Sustainability Podcast, a show that shares the stories of inspired people that are committed to social good. In this episode, Harry and Corinna engage in a meaningful examination of social impact and the growing need for positive change. Corinna opens up about her podcast journey, how she formats her episodes and how she identifies which guests to interview. They go on to talk about Corinna’s passion for cars, something she’s changed her mind about recently and the ethos of her podcast. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! Focusrite | FullCast KEY TAKEAWAYS 06:36 – Harry welcomes to the show Corinna Bellizzi, who speaks to the impact the global pandemic had on her and the work she’s doing with her podcast14:00 – Motherhood, work, graduate school and power outages16:54 – Lessons Corinna has learned from the Care More Be Better Podcast19:53 – The inspiration to launch A Growing Need and Corinna’s passion for social impact and sustainability30:30 – The ethos of Corinna’s podcast and how she identifies potential interviewees39:27 – Corinna reflects on her early days of podcasting46:40 – Corinna’s dream car50:27 – Something Corinna has changed her mind about recently and the most misunderstood thing about her56:05 – Harry thanks Corinna for joining the show and let’s listeners know where they can connect with her TWEETABLE QUOTES “Being able to expand on that through podcasting and through making deeper connections with people around the globe really helped me. And I didn’t realize how close to depression I was when I started this thing.” (09:31) (Corinna)“I really look for people that can help me cover topics that are really near and dear to my heart, but also just that are rooted in making the world a better place and improving awareness around particular issues. Because it’s my firm belief that, as we improve awareness, we’re going to create a more just and equal world.” (18:30) (Corinna)“I really just have this simple metric I look for. And that’s just, ‘Are they making a social impact about a particular issue or are they driving something that is really focused on sustainability?’ And if either of those aren’t met, I don’t interview them.” (30:53) (Corinna)“Even if I’m only reaching a small audience, I’m reaching an audience that cares.” (43:34) (Corinna)“Having a healthy environment to live and breathe in should be the concern of everybody. These are things that should be the rights of each of us. It shouldn’t be politicized.” (54:01) (Corinna) RESOURCES MENTIONED FullCast WebsitePodcast Junkies Junkies Facebook GroupLink to Podfest Expo Virtual SummitCorinna’s LinkedInCorinna’s WebsiteCorinna’s TwitterCorinna’s FacebookCorinna’s InstagramCorinna’s EmailCorinna’s Podcast:Care More Be Better: A Social Impact + Sustainability PodcastLink to Trash to Treasure🎙️🎙️🎙️Podcast Production and Marketing provided by FullCast

Harry welcomes to the show, teachers and podcast hosts, Mealey & Tudsicso. Mealey and Tudisco are the hosts of Unprofessional Development, a show that showcases real teachers telling real stories and sharing their wisdom, insights and experience from the world of education. In this episode, Mealey & Tudisco share the story of how they met and what inspired them to bring their unique perspective on education to a podcast. They talk about their own real-life stories from the classroom and reflect on their growth as podcast hosts. Finally, they discuss how the global pandemic impacted their podcast and regale the audience with the backstory of how they attained an unbelievable guest for their show. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! Focusrite | FullCast KEY TAKEAWAYS 06:36 – Harry welcomes to the show Mealey & Tudisco, hosts of Unprofessional Development, who share their background as teachers and the story of how they met17:32 – Bringing a different perspective to education20:37 – Planning a show with curiosity and hosting Edupodlooza24:10 – Mealey & Tudisco reflect on their growth as podcast hosts and how it’s impacted their friendship32:31 – A global pandemic, two teachers and Tony Danza42:40 – Peeking behind the teacher curtain with stories from Mealey & Tudisco51:12 – Surprising revelations Mealey & Tudisco discovered about each other53:42 – Something Mealey & Tudisco have changed their minds about recently57:50 – Harry thanks Mealey & Tudisco for joining the show and let’s listeners know where they can connect with them TWEETABLE QUOTES “Educational podcasts do for podcasts what educational games do for games.” (12:08) (Tudisco)“I think what’s made us very aware of our audience is a little bit of the fear of being fired. So, that consciousness is always there. And I think partially being teachers also makes us aware of that.” (19:43) (Mealey)“I think honestly we had just really good chemistry on it from the get-go. We rarely if ever had any long or awkward pauses.” (24:30) (Tudisco)“One of the weirder things to me that was funny is that Tony [Danza] still uses an AOL email.” (38:21) (Mealey)“If you’re good at it, teaching is about relationships and building relationships with people who are struggling.” (45:38) (Tudisco)“I care less and less about grades all the time.” (53:56) (Mealey) RESOURCES MENTIONED FullCast WebsitePodcast Junkies Junkies Facebook GroupLink to Podfest Expo Virtual SummitUnprofessional Development TwitterMealey & Tudisco’s Podcast:Unprofessional Development🎙️🎙️🎙️Podcast Production and Marketing provided by FullCast

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!Focusrite | FullCastKEY TAKEAWAYS06:36 – Harry welcomes to the show Lauren Popish, who speaks to her background ininterior design and her passion for helping women create their own unique, niche podcasts22:28 – Creating the perfect listening environment for podcasting25:29 – A panic attack and a unique podcast origin story31:38 – Early struggles and big shifts of entrepreneurship34:49 – How allies and mentors aided in Lauren’s success38:54 – The importance Lauren places on forging relationships in the podcasting space43:05 – The Book Wine Club and Podcast Like A Girl podcasts51:35 – Lauren reflects on her passion for empowering women57:05 – Something Lauren has changed her mind about recently and the most misunderstood thing about her1:02:55 – Harry thanks Lauren for joining the show and let’s listeners know where they can connect with herTWEETABLE QUOTES“When something lands and resonates on such a universal human level it just multiplies and takes off.” (11:04) (Lauren)“The best podcast listening environment is on-the-go for me. I am someone who just has to feel like I’m being productive all the time, for better or for worse.” (22:51) (Lauren)“Podcasting felt like this really great, safe way for me to flex a muscle that was weak and build a brand that was based on authenticity.” (30:25) (Lauren)“I would just have friends and family come into my at-home studio, drink a bottle of wine on like a Tuesday, get really drunk and then talk about books. And it was so fun. It was the first time that I was having conversations that were so intimate.” (47:39) (Lauren)“I don’t claim to be an original feminist who always knew that she would work with women. I am a feminist, of course. But, I just stumbled into supporting women because I am a woman who was struggling and wanted to help people who were in the same position.” (55:23) (Lauren)RESOURCES MENTIONEDFullCast WebsitePodcast Junkies Junkies Facebook GroupLink to Podfest Expo Virtual SummitLauren’s WebsiteLauren’s LinkedInLauren’s Podcast:Book (Wine) ClubLauren’s Instagram🎙️🎙️🎙️Podcast Production and Marketing provided by FullCast

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!Focusrite | FullCastKEY TAKEAWAYS06:36 – Harry welcomes to the show, Ever Gonzalez, who tells the story of how he met Harry, his background and the origin story of Outlier14:21 – Ever talks about how he got his start in logistics18:09 – How Ever got involved in podcasting23:46 – Ever speaks to transitioning to hosting events and teases some upcoming events35:22 – Ever expounds on the impact COVID-19 had on his personal and professional lives and tells the unique story about a podcaster he was able to help53:06 – Harry and Ever speculate on what the next year will bring to the podcasting industry1:00:22 – Harry and Ever discuss Podcasting 2.01:06:04 – Harry thanks Ever for joining the show and let’s listeners know where they can learn more about Outlier and connect with himTWEETABLE QUOTES“You and I and others that have platforms, we’re adding value to them [podcast guests] because people get to hear about them.” (22:31)“I don’t ever want to look out into the crowd and see people tuning out or sleeping. That would be the worst. And thirty minutes keeps it fast and loose.” (34:23)“I think with the not having friends in-person because of COVID was offset because we have so much interaction still with our online and podcast friends.” (41:51)“Even if nobody was listening to the show, I would still do the show because I get much more out of it than anything else. So, it’s cool that people are downloading it and listening to it and interacting with us. But it’s the conversations that I have with truly interesting people from all over the world that a lot of them I become friends with.” (42:09)“I love new podcasters. I want to make podcasting as easy as possible.” (47:39)RESOURCES MENTIONEDFullCast WebsitePodcast Junkies Junkies Facebook GroupLink to Podfest Expo Virtual SummitLink to Podcasting 2.0Ever’s LinkedInEver’s Podcast:Outlier On AirOutlier WebsiteOutlier TwitterOutlier FacebookOutlier InstagramBooks Mentioned:Never Lose a Customer Again🎙️🎙️🎙️Podcast Production and Marketing provided by FullCast

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!Focusrite | PatreonKEY TAKEAWAYS06:36 – Harry welcomes back to the show the very first guest in Podcast Junkies history, Espree Devora, who shares her background as a professional podcaster and her passion for spotting the latest trends20:25 – Espree talks about what excites her the most about the still growing podcast industry26:29 – Why Espree considers herself an artist, first and foremost, and her aspiration to become a writer34:40 – Espree talks about being vulnerable48:25 – Espree opens up about her childhood and how her experiences impact her today as an adult57:31 – Espree shares the inspirational story of Call Her Daddy and its creator, Alex Cooper1:04:51 – Espree encourages frustrated podcasters to continue on your own unique journeys1:12:04 – Harry thanks Espree for joining the show and let’s listeners know where they can connect with herTWEETABLE QUOTES“This is a little trivia, ‘Where was the first interview on Podcast Junkies recorded?’ In my car, at night in Silver Lake. This sounds so sketch by the way. Across the street from a restaurant. Why did we do it that way?” (10:10) (Harry & Espree)“I’m gonna say something that I probably shouldn’t say out loud but eff it. I feel like now that everybody’s in podcasting I kinda want to move on to the new.” (18:22)“We have those same opportunities now to create what the business models are as podcasters. And that’s extremely exciting to me.” (22:17)“I consider myself an artist. I’ve always described podcasting as painting audio.” (26:33)“I’m interested in guiding people how to create deep, meaningful relationships and helping others to do so, to make it more of a viral effect and scale human connectivity.” (31:55)“The skills that we developed by having the personality types that surrounded us ended up creating skills within us as adults that we maybe weren’t aware of.” (48:45)“If I could embrace the journey rather than be attached to my idea of the outcome and just embrace that my whole life is a story and I don’t know how it’s gonna unfold, maybe I would feel a lot more peace.” (1:03:42)RESOURCES MENTIONEDFullCast WebsitePodcast Junkies Junkies Facebook Group Link to Podfest Expo Virtual SummitEspree’s WebsiteEspree’s LinkedInEspree’s Podcasts:WeAreLATechWomen in TechLink to Colin and Samir’s WebsiteLink to Espree’s Twitter 🎙️🎙️🎙️Podcast Production and Marketing provided by FullCast

THANK YOU SPONSORS!Focusrite | Patreon06:00 – Harry welcomes to the show, Daniel B. French, who shares his background growing up in Kentucky and talks about the modern version of rhetoric16:12 – Dan discusses the awakening he underwent during his education and tells the story of the four academics who came to speak at his school21:24 – Dan talks about the power of persuasion and shares why he wrote his book, The 21 Coliseums of Persuasion30:27 – Dan and Harry talk about navigating through conversations without ‘triggering’ people and expounds on other Coliseums of Persuasion37:22 – Dan shares the story of how he got involved in comedy43:20 – How Dan’s eclectic background in comedy and rhetoric has impacted his parenting50:58 – Dan chronicles his growth as a podcast host59:25 – What is something that Dan has changed his mind about recently and the most misunderstood thing about Dan1:03:09 – Dan speculates on the future of our society1:06:52 – Harry thanks Dan for joining the show and let’s listeners know where they can connect with himTWEETABLES“The simplest definition of rhetoric is that it’s the study of hyper-designed messages.”(12:20)“I always have that orientation, but it’s that working class orientation. If you’re going to teach me something, I need to have a use for it.” (19:11)“Everybody on the left who thinks that they’re being rational are not being rational. They are, at best, partially rational or pseudo-rational. So, the project I’m working on now is a logic primer for people to train people in actual logic so they can clean up their own act and use it better.” (28:13)“There’s so many things in a comedy club environment that are made technologically for people to laugh. All you have to do is say something kinda funny and they want to laugh. If you can actually hit funny, it just explodes.” (42:01)“I love great conversations. For me, when I’m the podcast interviewer, I like to get into the space of ‘what am I really interested in here?’” (52:46)LINKS MENTIONED*FullCast Website *Podcast Junkies Junkies Facebook GroupLink to Podfest Expo Virtual SummitDan’s BookDan’s YouTube ChannelDan’s LinkedInDan’s InstagramDan’s FacebookDan’s TwitterDan’s PodcastRhetoric Warriors WebsiteLink to Robb Wolf’s Website